The Cherokee Rose That Grew For Daryl Dixon
by FuzzKitty
Summary: my first story, so I would appreciate some feedback.
1. Chapter 1

"I'm sorry Nancy, I just have no interest of dating anyone at this time. My life is busy enough with my job." Rose said.

"Dr. Carmichael!" Someone shouted tearing her away from her' invigorating' conversation with Nancy.

She looked up to see a couple Medics carting in a patient who seemed to be in a lot of pain. They had bandaging covering his left shoulder and it looked like he had lost a lot of blood.

"What happened?" She asked as she took over analyzing his wound.

"Sheriff Rick Grimes, single gun-shot wound to the left shoulder, bullet still inside, no main arteries hit, blood pressure is low and dropping."

"Thank you. We need to get him to surgery now. Nancy, go up ahead and get me a room ready. He'll need a blood transfusion get some blood ready." She ordered as she rolled him away.

The Medics were right. No main arteries were hit thank goodness. The bullet wasn't as deep as she had expected but he still lost a large amount of blood due to the fact that it was close to his heart. This man was lucky.

In fact he was so lucky that there were no complications during the surgery. They got the bullet out just fine and gave him a blood transfusion. The only problem was when they were done and ready to take him to his room, he slipped into a coma.

He was set him up on fluids and life support in his room. Rose hated seeing patients in a coma. They look so peaceful but lifeless at the same time. Looking like they are asleep but knowing at the same time that they may never wake up.

Once he was all settled she walked out of his room and stopped by the nurses' station for her paperwork.

"Dr. Carmichael?" Nancy said. "There is someone in the waiting room for an update about the Sheriff."

"Thank you. I will go let him know." Rose replied as she turned and walked towards the waiting room. She looked around as she entered and saw many people in the room. It was however, not hard to find the man that was waiting for news on the Sheriff.

He sat in a chair, decked out in a sheriff uniform just like the coma patient. As soon as she walked in he stood, holding his hat in his hands looking like he was going to wring it into nothingness.

"How is he doc?" The man asked.

"He's doing fine, Mr.?"

"Shane. You can call me Shane."

"Ok, Shane. There weren't many complications with the surgery. That man really is lucky. The bullet hit no major arteries, but he did lose some blood. Not to worry though we replaced it. There was really only one problem. He slipped into a coma. He is stable right now, on life support but as with all coma patients we really can't tell you if he will wake up or not. We give them all a certain amount of time to rely on life support and if they over go that length of time then we must pull them off. But that time won't come for a while."

"What am I supposed to tell his family?"

"The truth? That he got shot protecting this county. That he is a hero. If he has kids that will be very important for them to hear."

"Tanks doc. Can I see him?"

"Of course. Let me show you to his room." She replied.

Once she escorted him to his room she decided to give him some space. She walked back to the nurses' station to finish the paperwork.

"So, Rose, how about we finish that conversation?" Nancy asked, not even seconds after Rose sat in her chair.

"How about not?" She replied. "I just got out of surgery from digging a bullet out of a mans shoulder. I really don't have the patience to argue with you about my love life."

~Two Months Later~

She woke in a pouring sweat. The blankets and sheets were thrashed around the bed. This nightmare was killing her. She'd been having the same one for two months, ever since that coma patient came to the hospital, and with each passing night it was getting more vivid and seeming like reality. She was losing sleep and that was affecting her at work as well.

She was a doctor at a hospital in King County, Georgia. Some days, in the middle of her shift she would wake up in the on call rooms without remembering she fell asleep. And of course, even at work, as soon as she slipped into a light slumber the images would come back.

They were always the same, the nightmares. The deformed claw-like hands reaching out for her, the sunken faces with decaying mouths ready to eat her. The humans that looked so dead moved like they were alive. It was all impossible. The dead could never come back to life, no matter how many zombie movies there were. And she was a doctor. It was against everything she ever learned in school and in the field. She never really watched horror movies so she had no idea where she was getting this from.

She was a practical thinker, a realist. She refused to let it affect her life any further.

However, there was no point in trying to go back to bed. The nightmare would only come back and she needed a clear head for her patients today. So, she stepped out of bed, forgetting to put on her slippers which made her squeal from the cold wooden floor, and walked to the bathroom. She took an extra hot shower and did her morning routine.

As she looked in the mirror she took in her appearance. Wavy brown hair, high cheek bones, natural tan skin. You could definitely see the Cherokee in her. She was an average 5' 7". She had an average toned body from working out at the gym after work almost every day. She saw nothing too special about her, but not too plain either.

When she stepped out she dressed in plain, blue scrubs. She did her best to put her wavy, brown hair into a neat bun and applied the little amount of make-up she wore.

She gathered her necessities and made her way out the door, making sure to lock it behind her. Once she started up her blue Saturn she merged onto the street. On her way into work she thought about her coma patient. He was a sheriff of the county. He had come in with a bullet wound to the shoulder and was currently in a coma. She felt bad for his family. He had a wife and son. It pained her to think that the day might come when his wife would have to choose to keep him on life support or to end his suffering.

She walked in the hospital and collected her papers from the nursing station. As she made her daily rounds she always saved Sheriff Grimes for last. He was a sort of inspiration to her. He did his job with no doubts and no second guessing. It all was just second nature to him. It also made her think that life was too short. You never knew when it would end for you. It also made her decision to not be involved with anyone a lot easier.

When it all ended and you die, you leave behind people that care deeply about you. You leave them behind to suffer without you. You spend most of your life building up a fantastic relationship with people, only to let them down at the end. She refused to do that to anyone. She preferred to be alone. That way, when her life ended, no one would be suffering without her. So she spent her life healing those who chose to be with others so that they would not have to suffer.

As she was checking his liquids and vitals on the screen, the door opened. She turned to see his friend, Shane enter the room.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I can come back later." Shane said.

"No worries, I'm done." She replied. "He's lucky to have such a devoted friend like you that stops by almost every day."

"Well, I guess I feel that it was my fault he got shot. I wasn't keeping my guard up. I don't know what I will do if he never wakes up."

"He's a tough one. I have faith that he will wake up."

"Even with all that new crap that is happening out there?"

"I like to try to be an optimist. It's what makes me a better doctor I think. If I was a half empty kind of person then I wouldn't try my very best to make my patients better."

With that she walked out the door. Shane was right of course. With everything happening outside the walls of the hospital it was hard to keep up the optimism. People were saying they saw the dead walking around. Just like in the dreams she's been having.

Once she was done with her rounds she started her paperwork. And as usual that's when one of the nurses, Nancy, would come up and start a conversation.

She and Nancy weren't what you would call friends exactly. Nancy was just the one that brought it upon herself to try and set her up with men. Nancy thought that it was boring being alone. That you just had to have a man in your life. Completely opposite of what Rose thought.

"So, I have a date with Gerald tonight." Nancy started.

"Oh?" Rose questioned. "Sounds fun, which will be the fifth date with him?"

"Yes. He is quite amazing. And I was sort of wondering…" Nancy trailed off.

Oh no. Here it comes. Rose thought. "You were wondering what exactly?" She asked.

"Well, he has a brother, Steve, cute as can be. Gerald and I thought that maybe, since you don't do anything on Friday nights, that we could double date. It would be so much fun. Give you and I a chance to get to know one another better and maybe get you man."

"Oh, Nancy that sounds so tempting." Rose replied sarcastically. "But, with my work load today I'm most likely going to be working late. Oh and there is the fact that I refuse to fall needlessly in love and depend on a man until the world ends." And she walked away. She just had to say that last sentence. Cursing herself without even knowing it.


	2. Chapter 2

At the end of the day Rose was so tired she almost didn't see the man dressed in military clothing. It was nearing ten pm when she saw him walking the halls and looking into patient rooms.

"Excuse me, can I help you?" she asked as she approached him.

"No ma'am. I'm just looking." He replied.

"Well I must explain that looking in patients rooms is against the rules. We have privacy laws here and you are violating them. Who are you exactly? And why would you be here so late looking at my patients?"

"I am Sargent Lloyd. I'm sure I don't need to explain that bad things are happening outside these walls. I am here to make sure that none of these patients are carriers of the virus that is spreading."

He didn't need to explain. It was all that was on the news on every channel today. Every time Rose would glance at it she would only see people talking about terrible things. But no one was clarifying exactly what it was.

"Well, if you're not a doctor then how will you know if they are or not?"

"Good point. That's where you come in. You get to walk me around the patients and tell me why they are here and I will decide if they are a danger to exposing others."

"And what exactly will you do if YOU think they are?" Rose asked getting slightly suspicious. She did not like where this was going.

"I will do as I am ordered to do by my commander." He answered in a matter of fact tone.

"Which is?"

"That knowledge is on a need to know basis, and you do not need to know."

"You either tell me or I get security to escort you out of the building."

"Look you are making this extremely hard." He replied as he rubbed his eyes looking exhausted. "I hate this part of my job. This is not what I signed up for when I joined the military. I wanted to go out and save my country. Instead I am sent to a hospital to examine the patients and if I suspect that they are a danger to us then I have to put a bullet in their head."

"What!?" Rose exclaimed. "Why on Earth would the government want to kill sick people?"

"There has been an outbreak. A virus. And it's spreading. I don't know where it started but it's scary. The dead are walking. I was sent here to kill anyone I suspect of carrying the disease."

"That's murder."

"I know. And I really don't want to but," Sargent Lloyd started.

"Then don't." Rose said cutting him off.

"It's my job." He explained. "Let's put it this way. You're a doctor. It's your job to heal people to the best of your ability, right?"

"Well yes, but I don't see how this is comparing to killing innocent people."

"Say a convict came in. Someone who was guilty of a huge crime. Something that you are completely against. If you didn't heal them they would die. Would you fix them?"

"Of course. That's my job."

"Exactly." He stated. "That is all I am doing right now. My job."

"But it is my job to protect my patients. To keep them alive, how am I supposed to do my job when you are doing yours?"

"Look, if I don't do this now then the whole army is going to invade the hospital and kill everyone in it. Even the staff."

"Then let them. At least then you can keep a clear conscience."

"Would you listen to me if I told you to stay away from work tomorrow?" He begged.

"No, most likely not." She replied.

"Then, when it starts, hide. Somewhere you think is safe, somewhere you think no one will look. At least my conscience will be clear knowing I helped save you." With that he walked away and out the doors.

Knowing what she just learned from Sargent Lloyd, Rose didn't feel safe enough to stay home. But she also didn't know how long she would be hiding in the hospital according to him. She drove home long enough to grab a few sets of clothes and other necessities. When she returned to the hospital she sat in the sheriffs room just thinking.

What was going on? Were the dead really walking just like in her dreams? What was she going to do? She had no idea how to protect herself. If the army found her then they would kill her.

She finally staggered to bed in an on call room around one am. And as always, as soon as she drifted to sleep the images came back. Only instead of flashes of the walking dead, she was running from them. They were chasing her and she had no idea how to kill them, seeing as they were already dead. She tripped and fell on the cold ground. When she flipped around and looked up on of them was right above her. It knelt down, reached one hand towards her stomach, and lowered its grotesque mouth down, getting ready to eat a gourmet meal of live flesh and blood. Just before it could sink its teeth into her flesh, she jolted awake.

There was a ton of noise outside her room. She jumped out of bed and walked quietly to the door. She put her ear up to it to try to hear what was going on. She heard muffled shouts and gun shots.

She creaked the door open a tiny bit to get a look. No one was occupying this hallway. If what Sargent Lloyd said was right then the army was eliminating any threats. She silently slipped out of the room hoping the way to her safe spot was clear.

As soon as she stepped out someone from behind put their arm around her and covered her mouth so she couldn't scream. She struggled but to no avail. She looked at the hand and noticed it was covered in combat gloves.

Oh no, she thought. This is it. I'm going to die.

"I knew you wouldn't stay home today. Why on Earth can you not listen?" Sargent Lloyd whispered in her ear. "If I take my hand away do you promise not to scream?"

She nodded. He took his hand away and she immediately stepped away and looked at him. "What is going on?" She whispered.

"Exactly what I told you would happen." He said like it was obvious. "The army is eliminating anyone sick and anyone who has had contact with the sick people. We don't have much time. You need to hide."

"I need to get to the coma patients room. I should be safe there."

They walked silently down the halls. At each corner Sargent Lloyd would stop her and peak around to make sure no one was there. When they reached the sheriffs room Lloyd peeked in.

"There is someone in there messing with him. It's not one of mine though. Looks like a civilian." He whispered to Rose.

"It must be his friend Shane. Let's go in." She said, and before he could reply she walked into the room.

She was met by a startled Shane. He looked like he was trying to get the sheriff out of the room.

"What are you doing?" Rose asked him.

"I'm trying to save my friends life." He responded.

"You took him off of life support. He could be dead."

"I know. I don't hear a heartbeat." He said sounding heartbroken.

"Look we need to get out of here." Lloyd said.

"I can't leave without Rick." Shane argued.

"Shane, I'm staying. You get out of here and I'll look after Rick." Rose suggested. "I'm a doctor. I can fix him, hopefully." She said looking down at the sheriff.

"You sure you will be safe in this room?" Lloyd asked.

"I'm not leaving my patients. Besides, this is all I know. I would die out there." She heard the shots and screams getting closer. "You two need to get out of here. GO!" She yelled when they didn't move.

They reluctantly exited the room quietly. When the door was shut she looked at the sheriff. Shane took him off life support. There was really no way she could bring him back. She walked over to him and checked his pulse. It was there! It was extremely faint, but it was there. He wasn't dead. He was the luckiest man ever. She did her best to make him comfortable then sat down behind his bed, hoping and praying that no one would enter this room.


	3. Chapter 3

For two days Rose stayed in the sheriffs' room. She did not feel that it was safe to leave. When she finally felt that everyone was gone she ventured out to grab the supplies she packed.

When she opened the door she saw a gurney was placed in front of it. Maybe the dead couldn't operate door knobs and someone knew that. Maybe Shane or Lloyd. She moved the gurney and walked down a hallway. She looked at the double doors and saw they were chained close. Written across the doors was 'DO NOT OPEN, DEAD OUTSIDE"

Ok, she thought. Not going to see what's behind door number one. She made it to the on call room and back without running into any problems. Well except for having to step over people ripped in half and shot in the head.

For the next two weeks Rose stayed on the same floor of the hospital. For two weeks her diet consisted of water and the protein bars she packed. She spent her time making sure the sheriff was comfortable and still alive. Sometimes, out of boredom or loneliness, she didn't know, she would talk to the sheriff. She wouldn't really talk about much in particular, just about the weather, or about what was happening outside.

She was about to leave the room and attempt to leave the hospital. She was just about to open the door when she heard a voice.

"That vase, that's something special. Fess up, you steal that from your grandma Jeans house?"

Startled, Rose spun around. He talked. She thought. She heard him whisper something.

"I hope you left her that spoon collection."

He did it again. He's waking up. In a time when the world is going to hell, this lucky guy wakes up.

He started coughing. "Shane?" He called out for his best friend.

Rose rushed to his side. "Well good morning Sheriff Grimes. Glad to see you're finally awake." She said.

"Is Shane in the john?" He asked.

"Um, no. He uh, he left."

He tried sitting up and started disconnecting his oxygen.

"Wait let me help you with that." Rose said. "My name is Dr. Rose Carmichael."

"Sheriff Rick Grimes." He replied.

"I know. I was assigned as your doctor when you came in. Good news is that your wound healed perfectly."

"Good news is usually followed by bad news."

"Well, you've been in a coma for a while."

"How long is a while?"

"Two months."

He freaked out. He sat up and tried to get out of bed.

"Sheriff, It's best if you stay in bed right now. You're too weak right now." Rose said trying to attend to him.

"Get off of me!" He shouted while pushing her away. "I need to call my wife." He said.

He held onto the stand holding the IV and tried to stand up. Immediately he fell to the floor. Rose knelt down to help him.

"I'm sorry, but you can't exactly call your wife." She said.

"Why not?" He asked. He was getting slightly pissed off.

"There is more bad news. I can't explain it so I will have to show you. Let me help you walk."

She put his arm around her shoulder and helped him up.

"I need water first." He said.

She helped him to the bathroom where he could get some water from the sink. After being in a coma for two months the body would need to replace a lot of water. When he was done gulping down water she helped him to the door. She gave him an uncertain look. Not sure if he was ready to face the truth yet. He just nodded at her. She opened the door and let him look around. She let him take his arm off of her and started walking on his own. She stayed close in case he fell again.

The halls were deserted. Papers littered the floor. There was no sound anywhere. The first thing he did was pick up a phone. Noticing that it didn't work he threw it down and started rummaging around the nurses desk. He picked up a pack of matches. He lit one to try and see around but it was not helpful.

He noticed a flashing light around the corner. Rose knew what was around that corner and though the doors. Rick slowly walked around and looked through the window. Rose looked with him.

She was still there. Of course she was. What was going to happen to a dead body when no one was around? It was going to sit there and decay. Rose couldn't bring herself to deal with it. She wasn't friends with Nancy but she just couldn't bring herself to go near her rotting, mutilated corpse.

Rick turned around quickly and started walking down to the other end of the hallway. Taking everything in. Rose remained silent. Waiting for him to be ready to talk. He looked at the wall where they lined people up and shot them in the head, he made his way towards the door with the warning on it and heard the moaning and banging against the door before he said anything.

He turned to face Rose. "What the hell happened?" He finally asked.

"Honestly?" She said. "I'm not so sure myself. I've kind of been locked up in here with you. All I know is from what Sargent Lloyd told me. There was an outbreak. They killed anyone they thought was a threat to passing it on. Which means the sick and anyone who had contact with the sick."

"How did you survive?"

"Sargent Lloyd hid me in your room and made sure no one would enter it."

The banging on the door got more violent. Maybe they could smell the fresh flesh. Rose thought. They both looked at it, kind of scared that maybe they would break through. Then a dead looking hand reached through the small crack of the doors.

That's when Rick lost it. He busted through the side door to the elevators. He pushed the elevator button multiple times before he gave up and then opened the door to the stairwell.

"Rick, I don't think that's a good idea." Rose whimpered before he disappeared behind the closed door. She couldn't bring herself to move and go after him. She just hoped that he would come back. When he didn't she started to get worried. She walked forward and opened the door. "Rick? Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I found an exit. Be careful going down the stairs." He opened a door and the stairwell was flooded with light.

They had trouble adjusting to the sunlight. Being cooped up in a dark hospital would do that to you. They were blinded. They emerged at the back of the hospital. When their eyes finally adjusted nothing could prepare them for what they saw. Dozens of bodies, patients and staff, gun- shot wounds to the head and wrapped in bed sheets. They didn't even have the decency to burn the bodies.

Some looked like the dead walkers but others looked like they were killed when they were still human. Rose was trying not to cry, and from the look on Ricks face, so was he.

The outer walls of the hospital looked like they had dropped bombs. That was the day Rose locked herself in the bathroom and cried.

They walked up a hill to find the main area of destruction. Abandoned military vehicles, including a helicopter littered the area. At least this area had no bodies. But it was where the hospital suffered the most damage.

They got onto a main street and started walking. They kept their eyes peeled for any form of true life. Rose lost track of how long they walked, but they eventually found a bicycle left in the grass on the side of the street.

"I'll pedal, you can ride on the handle bars." Rick suggested.

"Kind of like young kids going on a date way back when." Rose joked trying to brighten the mood.

Of course in a time like this, she didn't know if the mood could be brightened. Rick got the bike up and they were about to climb on when they noticed the upper half of a lady just a few feet from them. Her intestines were hanging out of the bottom of her stomach, the skin covering half of her ribs was gone revealing the ribs. Her skin was a sort of yellowish brown and her eyes were sunken in. At the sound of them getting the bike, the dead woman turned over to look at them. Seeing that they were alive she tried to drag herself towards them.

"Oh, shit." Rick exclaimed. He quickly climbed on the bike and waited as I quickly got on the handlebars.

"You sure you're strong enough to pedal both of us?" Rose asked.

"You don't look that heavy." And he started pedaling away.

They rode for a while before she realized he seemed to know exactly where he was going but she didn't. "Where are we going?" She asked.

"I have to make sure my wife and son are ok." He said. "Do you have anyone you need to check up on?"

"No, I don't." She replied. And this was exactly why she never got involved. There was no one to worry about her and no one for her to worry about. They arrived at what she assumed was his house and he jumped off throwing the bike down giving her just seconds to stand herself before she fell with the bike. She watched him run inside calling for his wife. She wasn't sure if she should follow him, so she waited outside.

He came walking out after a while, looking like he had been crying. "They're alive." He said as he sat on the cement steps leading up to the house.

"How do you know?" Rose asked.

"The photo albums are gone." He explained. A movement to his right caught his attention.

Rose saw and looked in the same direction. There was a figure in a black suit walking towards them. It was too far away to tell if it was alive or dead, but as it got closer, Rose could tell it was definitely not alive.

They heard a twig snap behind them and as Rick turned around he was met with a shovel in his face as Rose began to scream.

"Carl, Carl I found you." Rick mumbled.

"Daddy, Daddy, I got this summbitch, I'm gonna smack him dead." The young boy yelled.

Rose looked in the direction he was yelling and saw an older man that resembled the young boy walk up and shoot the dead man in the head.

The man rushed up to them and looked at Rose and Rick before talking to his son. "He say something? I thought I heard his say something." The man asked.

"He called me Carl." His son replied.

"Son, you know they don't talk." Then he turned to Rose. "What's that bandage for?" He asked.

Rose was still trying to calm down and comprehend what was going on. "What?" She asked.

The man then pointed the gun at Ricks head. "What kind of wound?" he asked Rose. "You answer me damn you." When she still didn't reply he asked again. "What's his wound? You answer me or I will kill him and then you." He said while pulling the trigger back.

That's when rick passed out. "It's a gun-shot wound. That's it." Rose mumbled before she too passed out.

AUTHORS NOTE: I know i'm kind of moving slow, but I'm trying to follow the story line as strictly as possible. Maybe I will make the chapters longer and that might help move it faster.


	4. Chapter 4

Rose woke in a room tied to a bed. "Rick?" Rose called out "Rick, where are you? Hello?" she started freaking out. She was in an unknown house, tied to a bed. What the hell was going to happen? Just then the young boy came walking in.

"Daddy told me to cut you free. My knife is sharp. You try anything and I will kill you. I know how." He said, giving her a fixated stare so she knew he was telling the truth. Once he was certain she wouldn't try to attack him he cut her loose.

"Where is Rick?" was the first thing she asked.

"The room down the hall." Was all he said before he walked out leaving her alone.

She waited to make sure he was gone before she got off the bed and made her way to where Rick was. "Hey, how are you feeling?" She asked once she saw him lying on the bed. "I see they changed your bandage. That was nice of them."

"He asked me if I got bit." Rick said.

"Bit?" Rose asked. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know. Maybe we should go downstairs and talk to him."

"I don't know. Can we trust them? We don't know them."

"I didn't know you but I trusted you. Look, we don't know how many people are still alive out there. We need to gather together with survivors. It will help keep us alive longer.

"You're right. Ok, let's go." She said. Rick slowly got out of bed, wrapped the blanket around him and they made their way down the stairs.

As they reached the bottom they looked into the next room to see the two men were starting dinner. Instead of walking in and joining them, they turned to the right and walked into a different room. It looked like it used to be a living room but they had conformed it into their sleeping quarters now.

"This place," Rick called to them. "Fred and Cindy Drakes?"

"Never met 'em." The man replied.

"I've been here." Rick said. "This is their place."

"It was empty when we got here."

As the men were talking Rose went to look out the window. Just as she was about to pull the blankets back she was stopped.

"Don't do that." The man said. "They'll see the light. There are more of them out there than usual. I never should have fired that gun."

So apparently sound and light attract them. Rose thought. Good to know. The man let Rick and Rose join them for dinner as they talked about what was happening. Rose was slipping in and out of the conversation. She heard the man refer to the dead as walkers. It was a better name than the walking dead. It was shorter. She was pulled out of her thoughts as the father corrected the boy on his grammar, and again as the boy reminded his father to say blessing. After all that has happened they made sure not to forget their humanity and their faith.

"Do you two even know what is going on?" the man asked.

"I woke up in the hospital today." Rick replied. "Dr. Carmichael stayed in the hospital refusing to leave her patients. She's been stuck in there with me for two weeks. I've been out for two months. Came to my house, that's all we know."

"But you know about the dead people, right?"

"Yeah, we saw a lot of that." Rose said finally joining the conversation. "Out on the loading docks, piled in the trucks."

"No, not the ones they put down. The ones they didn't. The walkers. Like the one I shot today." He went on explaining what the 'walkers' would do if they caught a living person.

It all sounded so crazy. Just like the dreams Rose had been having. She drifted out of the conversation again, getting wrapped up in her own thoughts and seeing images of her nightmares coming back to her.

She heard the man mention to make sure not to get bit, that a bite will kill you and the fever would burn you out, and worse, eventually you would die. But there was something worse than dying. After you died, you would become a walker. He knew a lot about it. Almost as if they had seen someone go through all that.

After dinner they made their way to the sleeping quarters where Rose instantly fell asleep while the men stayed up and talked.

Rose awoke to the sound of a car alarm blaring, jolting her awake. "What's going on?" she asked groggily.

"One of them must have bumped a car or something." The man said. They all turned out the lights and opened the curtains. "The blue one, same as last time."

They decided to wait them out until morning. Seemed like a good option. Rose had no intention of going outside while those walkers were, well walking around. She laid back down on the makeshift bed and drifted off to sleep.

Rose woke up to the sound of the man telling Rick how to kill the walkers.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"He's going to teach me how to kill these things." Rick replied while opening the door. "Now, are we sure they are dead?" He asked the man. "I have to ask at least one more time."

"They dead." He told Rick. Then turning to me he asked, "You wanna turn at one?"

"No way, I spent my life learning how to save people. There is no way I can kill one."

"You might if they are trying to kill you first."

"That's when instincts kick in." She replied. "This is all Rick right here." She watched from the doorway as the man explained to Rick why you have to hit them in the brain to kill them. She watched as Rick walked outside to the walker that was sitting on the grass. As soon as it stood up Rick went to town on it, smashing its head with a baseball bat. I hope he's not in too much pain. Rose thought. He was still pretty weak.

When he was done they all left and walked back to Rick's house again. He was dead set on the fact that his family was still alive. Finally Rose found someone more optimistic than him, and even when hell came above ground he was staying positive. It amazed her. But it made her positive as well. It made her really want his family to be alive so that they could reunite someday. In the highly unlikely chance that they could find each other.

The man said that Rick's family would most likely be in Atlanta. With that said, Rick collected some keys and they all drove to the Police Station. The first thing that was checked was the showers. The pilot for the propane line was still on so that meant hot showers for everyone.

"Rose, there is a shower room down the hall for the females." Rick explained.

"Thank you." She replied and headed that way. When she entered the shower room she went over to one and turned it on full blast. She got undressed and stepped underneath the scolding hot water. It felt so wonderful to have a hot shower after all this time. She felt so dirty. She took her time scrubbing every inch of her body clean. When she was done she stepped out and got dressed.

She met the boys in the hall as they were walking by. Rick was changed into his police uniform. "Nice uniform." She said. "Looks a lot better than that hospital robe and boxers you were sporting."

"Maybe we can find you something along the way to Atlanta that looks better than those scrubs." Rick joked back. "We're on our way to get some guns and ammo. Come on."

She followed them and helped load up what she thought they needed. "I don't really know what all you need here Rick, I'm kind of just guessing."

"Well you can't go wrong in here. Everything in this cage goes to a gun so we'll need most of it. Didn't anyone ever teach you to shoot?" He asked.

"Um, no, not really. Not many people around in my life to teach me. Plus my passion was in other places." She replied while looking down and getting back to work.

When they were done they walked outside and Rose heard Rick try one last time to convince them to come with us. And then Rose watched as Rick put down one of his own who had become a walker.

Rick and Rose got into the police vehicle while the other two got into their car and drove off in separate directions. On the way out of town, Rick stopped by the park where we found the bike.

"What's up?" Rose asked.

"I'm looking for that half woman. I was going to put her out of her misery." He replied looking around. "It must have crawled away or something." He looked around a bit. "Nice sunny day. Let's take a walk."

"You want to hunt down a walking, or rather crawling, dead woman?" Rose asked with disbelief.

"I want to put her out of her misery. It's not right for her to be 'living' like this."

Rose followed Rick as he walked through the park. Part of her could not believe that he was doing this but the other part, kind of agreed with him. These people died. Then they came back to life, which is unnatural. The human part of them, the part that was no longer there would be begging for a bullet to the head. At least that's what Rose would want. So she continued to follow him. In fact, it was a nice day for a stroll through the woods.

Rick found her not too far away. It's not like she could get far using only arms to get around. Rose could not believe the woman actually went anywhere. It would seem that she would stay in one place. But they were relentless she realized. She kept her distance as Rick approached. She did not want to be near it when it happened. Although she believed this is what needed to be done to save the person, she did not want to be the one to do it. Rick knelt down to the woman and it looked like he said something. Then, he shot her in the head. Saving that poor woman.

Without saying a word, we walked back to the car and drove away. Away from everything. Their lives were there. Rick started and raised his family there. Rose made her career there, and now they were leaving it behind. Because, well literally, there was nothing there. They need to start all over somewhere else. Hopefully that somewhere else held Ricks family.

The ride to Atlanta was quiet. Except for when Rick was trying to get ahold of people on the radio.

"Why did you let me come with you?" Rose asked out of the blue. She sort of knew why. He was too kind hearted to leave anyone behind. He still had his humanity in check. "I know nothing of guns, or killing people. I'm a burden. I will only slow you down."

"You stayed with me when you could have left. You saved my life. I owe you. I will do whatever I can to protect you. To serve and protect, right. That's the police motto." He explained with a smile and went back to the radio.

The car came to a stop in the middle of the road. "What's wrong?" Rose asked.

"Out of gas. Fancy another walk?" Rick replied.

Rose smiled. "Yeah, it's a nice day." They grabbed the gear and started their journey on foot.

At one point in the walk they came across a little girl dragging a teddy bear. At first Rick thought she was still human and was lost. Turns out she was dead. Rose had to turn away. She could definitely not watch as Rick put her down. The innocence of a child was ruined. That little girl would never know what it felt like to grow up and fall in love and raise a family.

Neither will she Rose thought. She never gave it a chance. She thought back to her last conversation with Nancy. Well. It's the end of the world. Might as well keep an open , in the apocalypse, who would be left? She waited too long to give it a chance and now she would never know that feeling. She felt like she just died with that little girl. She had no idea what she missed out on.

They came to a pretty house with a tree swing in the front yard. Rick called out for anyone for gas. No one answered. They walked up the front steps and Rick knocked on the door.

Rose just had to smile at that. Everyone most likely dead and he still uses manners. Too bad he was married. He seemed like a great guy.

When they looked through the side window they saw the owners of the house. They opted out. They would rather kill themselves than let themselves become a walker. And who could blame them. Rose had thought about it a couple times but knew that she would rather be alive and live through this. And Rick would never let her go through with it.

Rick looked around the property for a bit while Rose stayed on the front steps with the gear. "You ever ride a horse before?" He asked as he came back.

"This is Georgia, Rick. Of course I have." She replied.

"Good, let's go." And he walked away leaving her to follow him.

As soon as the horse hit the open it took off. Horses were like that. Keep them cooped up too long and they will run as soon as they are let free. It was exhilarating. Rose held onto Rick tight and enjoyed the ride.

As they arrived in Atlanta, Rose noticed how empty it was. She was scared, she had never seen the city so deserted. "Rick, I don't know about this. I have a bad feeling."

"Well, if there is no one here, then we gather supplies, maybe find a car and move on." She had to admire his optimism.

Two walkers emerged from a bus making the horse uneasy. But Rick being a quick thinker just settled him and trotted off. At least they were slow. They could outrun them easy enough, for now. They came by a tank with two crows eating a walker.

"Now that is just gross." Rose said.

"Be glad it isn't you." Rick replied. "Let's keep moving." They didn't move more than five feet when they heard a helicopter. "Look, in the window reflections."

Sure enough there it was. An army helicopter.

"Rick, I know what you're thinking and please do not get off the horse." Rose pleaded.

"We need to flag it down." He said. He made the horse gallop down the street trying to follow the helicopter. But as soon as they turned the corner they were met with maybe a hundred walkers.

With the noise the horse was making, it took the walkers only seconds to start chasing us. So maybe they were faster than she thought. They ran down the street in the opposite direction only to be met with another horde of walkers, blocking them in.

They knocked the horse over, causing Rose and Rick to fall as well. Rick looked around quickly before yelling, "Get under the tank!"

Rose wasted no time. Her and Rick crawled underneath the tank where, hopefully the walkers couldn't get them. She was wrong. Some of the walkers began to crawl in after them. Rick shot a couple of them but didn't have enough bullets. She knew what his next move was. To kill them both. She was ok with it. She would rather die than become one of those. But before Rick could pull the trigger he noticed a hatch on the bottom of the tank.

Wasting no time he shoved Rose up first and followed quickly after. In the tank they were safe, for now anyway. Rick shot the walker they found in there. Bad move. The sound began ringing in their ears. They were both senseless for the moment. Even though it was hard to see, Rick still was able to get up and look out the top hatch of the tank. Rose didn't know what he saw but she could imagine it. The tank was most likely surrounded by walkers.

She crawled over to the dead walker to look at the name tag. Hoping that it wasn't Sargent Lloyd. Luckily, it wasn't. She was momentarily relieved. But that feeling left when she remembered where they were and what was outside waiting for them.

Rick quickly closed the hatch and dropped down. The walkers must have started to climb on the tank. Her thoughts were confirmed as she heard pounding on the top of the tank.

Rick was trying to think of a way out of this situation without killing them when all of a sudden the radio in the tank started crackling. Then they heard a voice. Rose swore it was the voice of an angel.

"Hey you, Dumbass, yeah you in the tank, you cozy in there?"


	5. Chapter 5

Rick rushed to the radio to talk back to what Rose called their guardian angel. She didn't pay too much attention to what they were saying, only enough to hear that the man was sort of funny. She was too busy freaking out about what they were going to do.

"Yeah, I'd say make a run for it." She heard the man on the radio say.

"Rick, we can't make a run for it." Rose cut in. "Like he said, we are surrounded by walkers." Rose went back to being quiet to listen to the man's plan. She did not like it.

"We have no other choice, Rose." Rick said trying to convince her there was nothing else they could do. "On my mark, we go. Ready?" She nodded. "Go."

And they did, they jumped out of the tank where Rick immediately hit a walker with a shovel he found. They jumped off the tank and rolled onto the ground. They hurried to get up and started running towards the alley the man told the man told them about. While running Rick was shooting any walkers that got too close. When they reached the alley they met the man that had been talking to them.

He wasn't what Rose expected. He wasn't really a man. He looked younger than her, so maybe in his twenties.

"Come on." He ordered, and we followed him up a ladder to the roof of the building. About halfway up they stopped on a landing. "Nice moves there Clint Eastwood, you the new sheriff in town? Come riding in to clean it up?" The man asked. So much for being the nice guy.

"It wasn't my intention." Rick started.

"Yeah, whatever, yeehaw. You're still a dumbass."

Rick just looked at him for a moment. "Rick, thanks." He said holding out his hand.

"Glenn, you're welcome." He said shaking Rick's hand. "And you are?" He asked looking at Rose.

"Dr. Rose Carmichael." She replied.

"A doctor? Well that will be nice to have around." They all looked up the rest of the ladder, seeing how much further they had to climb. "The bright side, it will be the fall that will kill us." Rick and Rose gave him strange looks. "I'm a glass half full kind of guy." And there came back the guy she heard on the radio.

They followed Glenn, running across the roof top until they reached a hatch. And down they went. Into the dark hole trusting a man they just met. But like Rick said, safety in numbers.

Once they reached the bottom of the inside ladder they began running through the room until they reached a door which led to an alley. As they ran through the alley Glenn was talking to someone on a radio, telling them to open the door. They were accompanied by four walkers in the same alley.

Hopefully they opened the door quickly. Rose thought. They did, the door opened and two figures dressed in black padding and helmets ran out with bats and smashed the walker's heads in while the group of three ran into the building. Soon after the other two followed, closing the door behind them.

Their victory was short lived however. As soon as we ran into the building we were met with a blonde holding a gun in their faces. "You son of a bitch, we ought to kill you both." She said.

Rose was too startled to stay with the fast paced arguments but she did catch that the blonde's name was Andrea. She looked a little unstable with the gun, like she didn't know how to use it. One man was able to make her back off, but she was still pissed.

"We're dead, all of us, because of you two." She said.

"I don't understand." Rick said. The man that got Andrea to back off pulled Rick along and started explaining the situation. Rose followed, staying close to Rick. He was the only one she trusted in this room, or even in this world. They stopped at the store front, where they had glass doors and they could see all the walkers trying to enter.

"You just rang the dinner bell." Andrea said.

Rose noticed one of the walkers came forward holding a huge rock in its hand and started to bang it against the door. So they are a bit more organized than she thought.

Rick explained that he saw a helicopter and no one in the group believed him. Did they think they were crazy? Rose saw the helicopter too. They weren't lying. It was out there.

Just as they decided to head up to the roof to get better signal on the radio they heard a gun-shot.

"What was that?" Rose asked.

"Oh no, is that Dixon?" Andrea asked as she started heading to the stairwell followed by everyone.

They emerged out of the door to see, what Rose would describe as, a typical redneck with a rifle. He was shooting walkers in the head and laughing, like he actually enjoyed it.

"Hey, Dixon, are you crazy?" Morales asked the man.

At the sound of people he turned around swinging the gun like he didn't care. "Hey, y'all ought to be more polite to a man with a gun." He said. With his accent and the way he pronounced words Rose's suspicions about him being a typical redneck were confirmed. "Only common sense man."

With that, the man named T-Dog, jumped down and the two started arguing. From the conversation Rose could tell that the man she learned was Merle Dixon was in fact a racist as well.

Then he popped T-Dog in the face with the butt of the gun and tried to beat the crap out of him. That's when Rick decided to get involved. And that's when Merle punched Rick to the ground and turned back to T-Dog. Now Rose could see that Rick was pissed. Anyone who tried to intervene with the two Merle would just knock them away like it was nothing. He had T-Dog on the ground beaten pretty bad and pulled a gun on him. He paused and looked at everyone watching, then he spit on T-Dogs chest and rubbed it in.

He got up off of him and held his gun up. "Alright, time to decide who's in charge." He said. "I vote me. Anyone else? Everyone started raising their hands except for Rick and Rose.

Rick was quietly making his way to the rifle. "Yeah," He said. And as Merle turned around Rick slammed the butt of the gun into Merle's face, knocking him to the ground. Then he pulled out his cuffs and cuffed Merle to a metal pipe.

"Who the hell are you man?" Merle asked.

Rick grabbed him by the collar and said, "Officer Friendly." Rose couldn't help but chuckle a little bit. He had a nice talk with Merle about being polite, to which Merle scoffed at, and then Rick patted him down and found some drugs in his vest. "You got some on your nose there."

"What are you gonna do?" Merle asked. "Arrest me?" He laughed.

Rick through the drugs over the edge of the building, to which Merle was not happy with and started yelling at him.

They all stood at the edge and looked down while trying to figure out a way to get out of there. Amongst all the talking Rose could tell that Andrea was more of a half-empty kind of girl.

Merle started hitting on Andrea, if you could call it that. When she turned him down, his attention went to Rose. "How 'bout you?" he asked "Wanna come over here and give me a happy ending before we die?" How he thought that would work was beyond Rose.

Rick turned around after hearing what Merle was saying. "You leave her alone."

"Oh, is she your little squeeze? I thought you had a wife? Or maybe you figure the world is ending so you decide to cheat on your wife?" Merle asked. "I can respect that. She sure is too pretty to leave alone."

Rick walked up to Merle and grabbed him by his collar. "I will have no problem putting a bullet in your brain if you so much as ever get within ten feet of her."

With the information from Jacqui about the building, they all made their way down to the basement. When the group tried to send Glenn down the tunnel Rose was surprised to see that he could stand up to them, considering they were all older and Glenn seemed like a shy guy. But he got confident and convinced them to let him do it his way.

He assigned the jobs and Rose stuck to Rick's side like glue. She was not going to leave his side until she could trust the others, if that day ever came. Who knew in a world like this? It was very unpredictable. The major thing that Rose did not like, she liked to know exactly what was going to happen next. But with all this, that was impossible.

She followed Rick and Andrea to the front of the store to see that the walkers were still banging on the door, trying to get in. "Hey Rick." She said. "Now that we have a little time, I'm going to go to that changing room and change my clothes. My scrubs are filthy."

"Ok, just be careful." He replied.

She grabbed her bag of stuff that she packed when she went to hide at the hospital and headed to the changing room. It was nice to finally get into some clean clothes. When she emerged from changing her clothes she saw Rick and Andrea pointing guns at the doors. When she got closer she saw that the walkers had busted through the first set and it was only a matter of time before they got through the second set.

The three from downstairs came running up and explaining that there was no way out through the tunnels.

"Well we need to find a way." Rose said.

"And soon." Andrea agreed.

They made their way back up to the roof to scope out and find a way out. The plan they came up with made Rose very uneasy. After they got all ready to go with the plan Rose spoke up to Rick.

"You can't do this." She said pulling him aside so the others couldn't hear. "What if you don't come back? I can't trust the others to not shoot me or protect me like you do. I know that sounds needy but I can't protect myself. They may see me as a burden and leave me or kill me."

Rick took her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. "I will come back Rose. I promise. I told you I would protect you. I owe you. I'm not about to go back on that. This is the best idea we have."

"And the worst. Just be careful, and hurry."

Rick and Glenn walked out the back way of the store covered in blood and guts. This was a stupid idea. But if it worked then they were safe, for now. She saw them walk past a couple walkers and it seemed to work. She followed as everyone ran back to the roof to watch the whole ordeal.

Just as Rose was getting some faith that this plan would work, the thunder started, signaling that it was going to rain. She just hoped it would wait until they made it to the truck. There was some good news though. T-Dog managed to get their base camp on the radio. The signal lasted only long enough for him to tell them that we were trapped, and then nothing.

She turned her attention back to Rick and Glenn. They were almost there. Then it started raining.

"It's just a cloud burst." Morales said, "We get them all the time. It will pass."

Rose knew he was just wishful thinking. It was going to wash the blood off of them. She could see it already happening, and the walkers were beginning to notice the change in smell as well. She saw Rick slam the axe into a walkers head and make a run to the gate while killing more. He was going to make it. She knew it. They made it to the fence and climbed over it. They were safe now.

They threw off the bloody trench coats and ran the rest of the way to the truck. They got in and started driving. Rose gave a huge sigh of relief. This plan was going to work. They were going to survive, today at least.

Then she saw them driving away. "They're leaving us." Andrea said

"No, they can't. He can't, he promised." Rose argued.

"Well take a good look Rose. They took off. We're going to die."

"No, he will come back. I know he will. He's too good hearted to leave us behind."

"In times like this, it's a think for yourself scenario." Andrea explained and walked away.

Then they heard it. A car alarm was going off and Glenn came on the radio, telling them meet at the roll up doors.

Everyone started rushing downstairs, forgetting about Merle. Except T-Dog and Rose, she stayed with T-Dog as Merle tried convincing him to unlock the cuffs. As T-Dog went to get the key to Merle he tripped and dropped it down a drain. Rose gasped, no one should be left to be a meal on a silver platter for the walkers, but now they had no key and no time to think of something.

T-Dog mumbled sorry and followed Rose down the stairs. He did stop long enough to make sure the door to the roof was secured so that the walkers couldn't get to him.

As they got downstairs to join the others they heard the car alarm very close now.

"What's going on?" Rose asked.

No one replied. They all stood still and quiet waiting to see what would happen. They heard Rick bang on the door and they quickly rolled it up. Once it was open they started throwing all the supplies in the back of the truck.

"Told you I would come back." Rick said to Rose.

She smiled and climbed into the truck. "Where's Glenn?" She asked.

"Oh, he's coming." He said with a smile. Then they closed the doors and they were off.


	6. Chapter 6

On the way to the camp, Rose could tell something was bothering Rick. Maybe it was the fact that one of the group was left behind. With his good heart, that had to be it. He was the kind of person that thought no one should get left behind. But in this case, they couldn't save Merle, they would all die trying.

"Best not to dwell on it," Morales said. "Merle got left behind. Nobody's going to be sad that he didn't come back, except maybe Daryl."

"Daryl?" Rick asked

"His brother," Morales explained. Just then everyone heard the sound of the car alarm.

"What is that?" Rose asked.

"That's Glenn," Rick said with a smile.

They watched as a red Camaro went speeding past with Glenn whooping in the driver seat. "At least someone is having a good day." Morales said.

The drive to the camp was uneventful. It was a long dirt road that kept going up the mountain. When they reached the camp Morales told them to go meet everyone, but Rose was still a bit hesitant. She waited until everyone was out of the truck before she spoke to Rick.

"Are we going to stay here?" She asked.

"I don't know." He replied.

"I'm guessing, that if your family isn't here you will keep moving until you find them." He nodded. "Well, whatever you choose, Rick, I'll be right behind you."

He turned to look at her with a slight smile in his eyes. "Thanks, now, let's go meet everyone."

They stepped out of the car and Rose stayed behind Rick. She had always been a shy person, except when it came to her job. She always just shrank in a crowd of people she didn't know and this was no different. She just watched all the events unfold quietly. Rose and Rick just stayed by the truck for a little bit while everyone reunited with their family and friends. She could see the look on Ricks face. He was slowly losing hope, he was going to lose his last bit of humanity if he didn't find his family soon.

"Hey helicopter boy." They heard Morales shout to them. "You too Doc, come say hello."

"I guess that's our cue." Rose said. They slowly made their way to the group, Rose staying hidden behind Rick.

Rose looked up as Rick stopped in his tracks. She peeked around him to see what he was looking at. "You, Rick, are the luckiest man I have ever met." She said as she saw his wife and son, who she recognized from their visits to the hospital, and his best friend Shane standing in the group.

"I know." He mumbled quietly back. Then he left her and quickly made his way to his family, embracing them like there was no tomorrow, for all they knew, there may not be one.

They all sat around a campfire as it got dark and asked Rick about what it was like to wake up from a coma and see all this destruction. Rose remained quiet while he talked about it. She was going to be an outsider in the group, she knew it. She didn't know how to handle a gun, or even kill anyone, even if they were already dead. And now that Rick had his family, Rose was going to be alone. She was happy for him, ecstatic even, he found what he had been searching for. They were alive just like he said. Seeing them reunite made her regret never letting anyone in emotionally. She had no one to reunite with, no one that would be searching for her. She had nobody. She was a nobody.

"It was a good thing Rose stayed." She heard Rick say. "I don't know if I would have survived without a doctor."

"It'll be good to have a doctor in the group." Shane said looking at her. She just smiled back, still too uncomfortable to say anything.

They all continued to talk about the fall of Atlanta and how grateful Rick was to Shane for saving his family. They told Rose they had an extra tent and helped her set it up. She looked back at Rick and his family and decided to just turn in for the night. Maybe she would feel better in the morning. Maybe she could make an effort to be friends with these people. She still didn't trust them, but maybe she should, they did save her life.

As she was slumbering off she heard people arguing about a fire. How building it up would attract the walkers. Then she slipped into an uneasy slumber. And even though her nightmares became a reality, they still came in her dreams. This one was slightly different though. When she fell she saw a crossbow on the ground in front of her, she looked up and everything went black, except a pair of blue eyes. Then she jolted awake into the next morning.

She put on some clean clothes and notices her dirty ones were missing. When she emerged from her tent and looked around, she saw Rick talking to Lori and the short haired lady named Carol ironing her scrubs and clothes she wore the day before. She walked up to her and said good morning.

"Um, I hope you don't mind. Lori got them and we washed them." Carol said looking down.

"Oh, thank you. That was really nice of you." Rose said. "Next time I will help you."

"No, you don't have to." She said looking at her husband Ed. "I can manage, besides, being a doctor you should be helping the wounded."

Rose looked at Ed to see him glaring at Carol. "Well, there's not many wounded right now and I would love to help." She replied looking back at Carol. She walked back to her tent to put her clothes away.

All of a sudden they heard the kids screaming and everyone, including Rose, went running in the direction. When they got to where the kids were they saw a walker mowing down on a deer with arrows in the butt.

When the walker noticed there were people around it stood up, thinking it was going to get a bigger meal. Once it was up though, the men just went to town on it. Smacking it over and over until Dale brought the axe down and chopped the head off.

"That's the first one we've had up here." Dale said. "They never come this far up the mountain."

"Yeah, well they're running out of food in the city is what's happening." Jim said.

A twig snapped and everyone turned toward the direction and the men had their weapons ready again. But what emerged was no walker.

What came out was a crossbow and a pair of blue eyes. Rose took a step back, hoping that this man was not what her dream was leading her to. Looking at him, it was easy to tell who he was. Typical redneck outfit again. This was Merle's brother Daryl.

"Son of a bitch," Daryl said coming further out of the forest. "That's my deer. Look at it mauled on by this filthy, disease bearing, motherless poxy bastard." He kicked it continuously through his rant.

"Calm down." Dale said.

"What do you know about it old man?" Daryl countered. "Why don't you take that stupid hat and go back to 'on golden pond'. I've been tracking this deer for miles." He said while taking the arrows out. "Gonna drag it back to camp, cook us up some venison." He leaned down to the part where the walker was eating on it. "What do you think? Think we can cut around this chewed up part here?"

"I would not risk that." Shane said.

"That's a damn shame. I got us some squirrel. About a dozen or so. That'll have to do."

Everyone looked down at the walker head as it started to move. It was still 'alive' since no one stabbed it in the brain. Just then Daryl let loose an arrow from the crossbow and finished it off. Most everyone had walked back to camp except Daryl and Rose.

"Please tell me you sterilize those after you shoot walkers and before you shoot food." Rose said to him.

He looked over at her making her wish she didn't say anything. "I ain't stupid. Who are you anyway? You weren't part of the group when I left."

"Um, just someone the group found in Atlanta." She said, looking down and then mumbling very quietly hoping he wouldn't hear her. "Still not part of the group."

What she didn't know though was that he did hear her. He looked at her and shook his head. Then without saying anything he just started walking back to camp. Rose had no choice but to follow him, knowing that she would most likely get lost on her own. She had a terrible sense of direction.

As they got back to camp Daryl started calling out for Merle.

"Merle, Merle, get your ugly ass out here." He called. "I got us some squirrel. Let's stew 'em up."

"Daryl?" Shane interrupted. "Just slow up a bit, I need to talk to you."

"About what?"

"About Merle, There was a problem in Atlanta." Shane started.

Daryl looked around at everyone gathered around. Rose was staying quite a distance away but still in earshot.

"Is he dead?" Daryl asked.

"We're not sure." Shane answered.

"He either is or he ain't." Daryl was getting mad now.

Rick decided to step in. "There's no easy way to say this, so I'll just say it." He said.

"Who are you?" Daryl asked turning his temper on Rick.

"Rick Grimes."

"Well, Rick Grimes, you got something you wanna tell me?"

Rose watched as Rick explained what happened on the rooftop. About how Merle didn't work well and play with others. Then she watched as Daryl let his temper fly and try to kill Rick with a knife. He may have succeeded if Shane hadn't stepped in and put Daryl in a choke hold.

Once they had Daryl pinned down Rick tried calming him. It didn't work but at least he got his anger in check. When Shane let him go he didn't try attacking anyone again. All Daryl wanted was to get his brother back. And he was going to go if it was a group or if he had to be by himself.

They were all getting ready to leave when Rick looked at Rose by herself in the distance.

"You ok?" He asked as he approached her."

She just nodded.

"I know you don't want to be alone with these people, but I think it's safer for you to stay here." He explained.

"I know, you're right." She replied. "I'm just thinking about Lori. She just got you back and now you're running into dangerous territory again. She's afraid she'll lose you again."

"Don't worry. I'll calm her down. And I will come back. I promise." And he walked away to go talk to Shane.

They got into a heated argument about risking lives to save Merle Dixon. In the end it was Rick, Daryl, Glenn, and T-Dog. When Glenn and T-Dog volunteered to go the comment Daryl made told Rose that he too was a bit racist like his brother. The search party was not going to go well.

Rose walked a ways from the group and sat on the ground thinking.

While the group was taking forever to get ready Daryl stood in the center of camp and looked around. He saw that doctor girl off in the distance sitting on the ground. He didn't know why but for some reason he wanted to talk to her. He quietly made his way towards her.

Rose was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't hear someone come up behind her.

"What are you moping about?" She turned around to see a pair of blue eyes looking at her.

"Why do you care?" She asked, regretting her snappy tone immediately. She was really not happy about this plan.

"I don't," He said. "Forget I asked." And he started walking away.

"I'm sorry." She said stopping him in his tracks. He turned to look at her. "I just don't think this is a good idea."

"You don't think saving a man's life is a good idea? Maybe if it were your brother you would think differently." He said getting mad.

"No, I just feel like something bad is going to happen. Just be careful please?"

"Why do you care?" He asked and walked away. He hopped in the back of the truck and honked the horn with his foot. It was stupid to talk to her. She was a nobody, she didn't belong in this group. She was an outsider, but so was he, even more so without Merle.

Rose watched as the truck drove away, hoping it would bring everyone back safely. She felt bad for talking to Daryl that way. After all he was just checking on her and she had to snap at him and tell him it was stupid to save his brother's life.

Some of the group at camp was heading down towards the quarry so Rose decided to join them. When she got down there she saw Andrea and Carol doing laundry.

"Mind if I help?" She asked them as she approached.

"Not at all," Andrea replied. "Here you can take this pile." She handed Rose a pile and helped her get started.

Rose looked over at Shane and Carl. Shane was being a goof and trying to catch frogs, making Carl laugh. That kid had a great family. A dad that would never give up trying to find him, a mom that looked after him every day and an uncle that would keep his spirits up even in the darkest of times.

The other girls started talking about the things they missed from before hell on earth came. Rose couldn't think of something she missed a lot. She didn't do much in her life. Work, go home eat and sleep. Wake up go to work and do it all over again.

The girls started laughing about missing vibrators and that's when Ed walked over. He had been watching them for a while, making sure they did their job was Rose's guess.

"What's so funny?" He asked.

"Just swapping war stories, Ed." Andrea replied. She was getting irritated how he was just watching them. "Problem Ed?" she asked.

"Nothing that concerns you," he shot back. "And you ought to focus on your work." He said turning to Carol. "This ain't no comedy club."

Andrea scoffed at that, but returned to her work.

Rose glanced up and saw Lori send Carl back to camp and started having a very heated conversation with Shane. Why would she be mad at him Rose thought. Rick just came back, they should be happy, unless something happened while they thought Rick was dead. She wouldn't get into that. It was not her business. She just went back to washing clothes hoping that the men would come back safe.

She looked up to see Lori and Carl walking back to camp and Shane staring after them. Leave it be, she told herself.

By now Andrea was getting very irritated with Ed. "Tell you what, Ed," she said standing up. "You don't like the way your laundry is done, you are welcome to pitch in and do it yourself." She threw a piece of clothing at him.

This was not going to go well, rose thought. She knew when she saw the way Ed acted that he was not a nice guy, especially to women. She just hoped the guys were having good luck.

He threw it right back in her face. "Ain't my job missy." He said.

Oh crap. Here we go.

Carol tried to stop Andrea, but she was mad.

"What is your job Ed?" She shot at him. "Sitting on your ass and smoking cigarettes?"

"Well it sure ain't listening to some uppity smart-mouthed bitch." They started fighting back and forth.

Ed was telling Carol to go with him to camp and the other girls were trying to keep her. Rose was getting scared now. She was afraid Ed would do something bad. And he did. He smacked Carol right across the face. Flashes of memories came across Rose's mind, memories that she had long suppressed. That's when Shane stepped in and beat the crap out of Ed. When he was done, he grabbed him by the collar and threatened him.

"You so much as lay a hand on your wife, your little girl, or anyone else in this camp and I will beat you to death."

Carol rushed to Ed's side and held him while apologizing over and over again. It was one of those relationships, where she truly believed it was her fault and that she deserved the punishment. Rose couldn't see how someone could live like that.


	7. Chapter 7

After the laundry was done everyone went their separate ways. Andrea and Amy took Dale's boat out to catch some fish, Carol tended to Ed, and rose sat on a rock with her feet in the water. She had changed into some jean shorts and a tank top so she could enjoy the sun.

Looking out at the girls in the boat, Rose almost forgot about what the world had come to. They looked so peaceful out there, just enjoying each other's company. Rose didn't have much of a family growing up. She was an only child and her mom had died when she was in her teens. Her mom fell off the second story balcony of their house and snapped her neck, dying instantly. At least that's what her dad told the cops.

Rose decided to head back up to camp, having worn out the good feelings. She saw Dale up on top of the RV and decided that maybe she could try getting along with these people instead of shutting herself out.

"Hey Dale," she greeted as she climbed up. "What are you looking at?"

"Jim," he said. "He's been up there for hours digging."

"Digging what?"

"I don't know yet. You mind keeping watch up here while I go check it out?"

"Not at all." He passed her the binoculars and headed down the ladder. She watched him as he walked up to Jim and started talking to him. Dale offered him some water but Jim just ignored him and kept digging. It was scaring Rose, the way Jim was acting. He was digging body sized holes.

From the top of the RV, Rose saw Amy and Andrea walking up with a line of about a dozen fish. It was amazing. They were going to eat good tonight.

Then Dale walked up, ruining the good mood. When Rose saw the look on his face, she climbed down to listen. He told them about Jim, and what he was doing. Everyone was worried, and the kids looked a little scared. Rose was scared.

Everyone decided to follow Shane up to see if he could calm Jim down and talk some sense into him. Shane ended up having to take Jim to the ground and cuffing him. Everyone stood and watched, then listened as Jim told them how he lost his family.

They took Jim back to camp and set him against a tree to rest in the shade.

"Jim, do you know why you were digging?" Dale asked him.

"I had a reason, don't remember." Jim answered. "Something I dreamt, last night."

Rose was getting worried. The guys weren't back yet. Rick said it would be in and out quickly. She hoped they would get back soon. She sat on a rock and watched Shane and the kids clean the fish.

When they were done with the fish, Rose sat by the camp fire and watched as Morales built the ring higher so the fire could be bigger without walkers seeing it. As she watched him she couldn't help but feel useless. Everyone there had something to contribute to the group except her. All she knew was how to fix wounds, so if someone got hurt she could help. But the point of surviving is to not get hurt in the first place.

It was getting later in the day and the guys weren't back yet. It would be dark soon and Rose was freaking out now. She kept her thoughts in her head because she didn't want to worry the others any more than they already were.

For a little bit, sitting around the fire and cooking fish was fun, and made Rose forget her worries, only for a little bit though. She wouldn't stop worrying until they came back. It came to the point where she couldn't even enjoy the fun conversation they were having about Dale's watch.

She excused herself and went inside her tent hoping to wake up in the morning and find the men back.

All of a sudden she was jolted awake by Amy screaming. She threw her shoes on and ran out of the tent to be met with a horde of walkers. The people with guns started shooting the walkers as Andrea ran to her sister's side.

"I don't know what to do." She cried. She looked up and saw Rose. "You're a doctor. You can fix her." She pleaded.

Rose didn't know what to do. She was paralyzed, just standing by the tent unable to move. She was so out of it that she didn't see the walker approaching her. She turned towards it just in time to see an arrow shoot through its head. She looked up and saw Daryl reloading the crossbow, they were back. Just in time.

They all finished of the walkers and those who were left embraced their families. Andrea was holding her sister.

Jim walked up and said. "I remember my dream now, why I dug the holes."

Rose plopped down on the ground.

"What happened to you?" She heard someone ask. "You froze. Don't you know anything about protecting yourself?"

She looked up to see Daryl looking down at her and then joined her sitting on the ground.

"No, I don't." She replied causing him to give her a look of disbelief.

"What are you talking about?" He asked. "You're what? In your twenties? You should know something about self-defense at least."

"Well I don't, ok." She snapped at him. "I didn't have anyone around to teach me that."

"What about a dad?"

She scoffed. "My dad, yeah the only thing he taught me was to know my place and stay there." She got up and stormed off to her tent.

Part of Daryl felt bad, but the bigger part liked seeing the small, quiet girl get all fired up.

Rose stormed off and went in her tent. She was mad, she couldn't really be mad at Daryl, but she was mad that he brought up that part of her life. He didn't do it on purpose but it still hurt to think about it. She had spent many years suppressing those memories, hoping to never have to think of them again. She lay down in her bed, hoping to get some sleep, but knowing that she wouldn't.

When morning came she was still in the same position on her bed, staring up at the top of the tent. She had heard others get up a while ago but did not want to join them.

She sat up and peeked out the tent door just in time to see Daryl smash a pick axe into a dead man's head. It didn't affect him at all, it was like he didn't think about the fact that some of those were part of the group. That man had no compassion. He was rude and arrogant and Rose was really starting to dislike him.

When she did decide to emerge from her tent she approached the group as they were talking about how to deal with Andrea's sister.

"Y'all can't be serious," she heard Daryl say. "Let that girl hamstring us? That dead girl's a time bomb."

"You're talking about her like she means nothing." Rose interrupted.

"Well, she doesn't anymore. She got bit, and it's just a matter of time before she turns and tries to eat us."

"She IS Andrea's sister."

"She WAS. Now she ain't nothing but a dead girl."

"She was her whole world. You can't just treat them like this. Haven't you learned anything about caring?"

"Probably about the same teachings you had about protecting yourself." He regretted it as soon as he said it, but it was too late. She slapped him across the cheek and it actually stung.

"What do you suggest?" Rick asked, trying to ignore what just happened. In just the few days he knew Rose, he thought she was just a quiet, shy girl that wouldn't harm a fly. But it seemed that Daryl could get under anyone's skin and make them explode.

"Take the shot." Daryl said rubbing his cheek. "Clean, in the brain from here." He continued pointing at his head. "Hell, I can hit a turkey between the eyes from this distance."

Rose scoffed. "You really have no compassion. For God's sake just let her be." Everyone agreed, except, of course Daryl.

He just scoffed, glared at Rose, and walked away to start dragging bodies to the fire. Once Glenn noticed they were carrying one of the groups towards the fire he stopped them.

"What are you doing?" He asked? "This is for geeks. Our people go over there." He pointed to a pile.

"What's the difference?" Daryl asked. "They're all infected." He saw Rose scoff at that comment and walk away to help the others. He turned his attention back to Glenn who was ordering him around.

"Our people go in that row over there." Glenn said. "We don't burn them. We bury them. Understand?"

Daryl looked like he wanted to argue, or maybe hit him, but he obeyed and began dragging the body towards the row of fallen friends.

"You reap what you sew man." Daryl said.

"Shut up man." Morales said.

"Y'all left my brother for dead. You had this coming." He was getting really pissed now.

Rose went to help Jacqui carry a body. They bent down to pick it up when Jacqui noticed that Jim was bleeding

"Are you bleeding?" Jacqui asked.

"I got some on me from the bodies." Jim replied.

"That blood is fresh." Rose said. "Were you bit?"

"No, I got scratched during the raid."

"No, you got bit." Jacqui said.

"I'm fine."

"Then show us." She demanded.

"Please don't tell anyone." He begged as he lifted his shirt to show them.

"Ok, Jim, I can bandage it or…"Rose began to say.

"A walker got him." Jacqui shouted to the group. "A walker got Jim."

"I'm ok." Jim said.

"Show us." Daryl demanded

There was a lot of commotion as everyone surrounded Jim demanding to see the wound. They were all carrying weapons so Jim picked up a shovel to protect himself.

"Wait," Rose said standing in front of Jim. "I can bandage it. We don't need to kill him."

"What are you talking about?" Daryl said. "He got bit, he will turn and we will have to kill him either way."

"Or not," Rose demanded, looking at Daryl. "We could, oh I don't know, show some COMPASSION to our friend and bandage him up while we think of something."

All of a sudden T-Dog grabbed him from behind and restrained him while Daryl rushed forward nudging Rose out of the way easily to lift up Jim's shirt. There was a bite mark.

"I'm okay, I'm okay." Jim kept muttering.

Everyone stepped away from him, not wanting to get too close in case he turned right then and there and attacked. Daryl picked up the pick axe just to make it worse. Rose was the only one that would get close to him.

"Come on Jim," she said pulling him towards a chair. "I will bandage you up while the others discuss this."

"Why waste good bandages on someone who is going to die anyway?" Daryl said angrily.

"Because I'm a doctor, that's what I do. I fix people because I care about them. And even if there is no hope for them, I still treat them like human beings because I still have hope even if they don't." she shot back at him.

Jim and Rose sat away from the group bandaging him up while the group argued whether to kill him or try to get to the CDC. All of a sudden Daryl came at Jim with the pick axe. Without thinking Rose stood in front of Jim and Rick put a gun to Daryl's head.

The gun was pointless at that moment though. As soon as Daryl saw Rose stand in front of the pick axe, there was no way Daryl would hurt her, and he would have to, to get to Jim.

"We don't kill the living." Rick said.

Daryl looked at Rose and she looked back. He lowered the weapon and turned to Rick. "That's funny, coming from a man that just put a gun to my head." He threw the axe down with a huff and walked away.

He does that a lot, Rose noticed. When he gets mad he storms off, and he gets mad a lot. He really was alone in this group now that his brother was gone. The odd man out, and it was affecting him. Everyone in the group had someone. Rose knew what that felt like, she was in the same position.

She knew she was the last person he wanted to talk to, but she thought she could get through to him because she knew how it was to be the loner. She approached him and sat down next to him.

"What do you want?" He asked angrily.

"To talk." She replied simply.

"I don't want to talk to you. Even if I did what would we talk about?"

"Oh, I don't know. We could talk about anything. The weather, hobbies, why you're so angry all the time."

"I am not angry all the time." He argued.

"Yes, you are. And you have reason to be, seeing as Officer Friendly over there cuffed your brother to a roof and they lost the key and left him there. But I'm pretty sure that's not all. I think there are some deep seeded issues you have."

"So what, you're a shrink now?"

"No, I just recognize the signs."

He looked at her. "I don't know what you're talking about." He was getting angry again.

"I have the same issues. My family life wasn't so perfect, as you accidently realized earlier. So maybe if you were to share with someone what happened, then they would understand and you wouldn't have to be alone."

"I'm not sitting in a circle and sharing stupid stories." He said getting up.

She was losing him, well she never really had him. "Daryl," she said standing up and grabbing his arm, "I'm trying to help."

He looked at her hand on his arm and she could tell he calmed down a little bit. Then he looked in her eyes and she saw the anger come back. "I don't need help." He said and yanked his arm away and walked off.

As he walked off he thought about her touching him. It wasn't rough like he was used to. It was soft and it didn't hurt. He really didn't know what to think of it. It was something he wasn't used to. He looked back to see her sitting back down with her face in her hands shaking her head.

What was he feeling right now? He didn't want to admit it but he might actually care about her. It could explain it hurts every time he yells at her, and why it hurt more emotionally that she slapped him.

Rose honestly did not know what to do. She was used to helping with problems. Well when those problems involved someone's life or death and surgery. Not when it was emotional. Maybe she should drop it. Maybe he didn't want to get past whatever made him keep to his solitude.

Just then she heard a gun-shot. She pulled her head out of her hands and looked up to see that Andrea had shot her sister in the head. Amy must have woken up and turned. Poor Andrea, Rose thought. She had no idea how Andrea must feel. She didn't know what it felt like to lose someone, and in this moment, she was glad she didn't let people get too close to her.

Rose decided that sitting around was going to be no help. So she went after the one person she felt safe and comfortable around. She went up to where Rick and Shane were digging more graves. Just as she was about to offer her help, she heard them get into a conversation. She stopped to listen, somehow, they hadn't noticed her approach.

"Say it," Rick said.

"Ok, I'm thinking that if you'd have stayed here, if you'd have looked after your own," Shane started. "Instead you took off you took half our man power with you. I'm thinking maybe our losses wouldn't have been so bad."

"If we hadn't gone off and brought those guns back when we did, I think our losses would have been a lot worse." Rick shot back. "Maybe the entire camp."

Shane stopped talking and went back to work.

"Um," Rose started quietly. Both men turned to her in surprise. "I was just checking to see if you needed any help."

"Yeah, here take my shovel." Shane said as he dropped the shovel and walked off.

Rick didn't speak until Shane was out of ear shot. "How are you getting along with everyone?" He asked.

"Oh, it's fine." She lied.

"You're a bad liar." Rick said.

"I just don't see the point in making friends with people now. I mean, who knows, they might be dead tomorrow or I might be dead. You never know."

"Exactly, you don't know for sure. So you should take advantage of the time we have. What happened to the optimistic doctor I met a couple days ago?"

"She met Daryl Dixon, the pessimist who could turn any optimist away from their positive thinking."

"Speak of the devil," Rick said as Daryl backed the truck of dead bodies up to the graves.

"Awesome," Rose muttered as they walked towards the truck to unload the bodies.

"I still think it's a mistake, not burning these bodies." Daryl said.

"That's because you have no heart." Rose whispered to herself. Rick heard her and gave her a small glare, silently telling her to be nice.

"It's what we said we'd do, right?" He continued, obviously not hearing her.

"Then the china man gets all emotional, says it's not the thing to do and we just follow him along?"

"He's Korean." Rose muttered.

"What was that?" Daryl asked her as the rest of the group walked up.

"I said, he's Korean," she said louder. "Don't you ever pay attention to anyone besides yourself?"

"I pay attention to what matters. Like burning these bodies, it's what we agreed on."

"The right thing you to do, is to bury the people who helped survive with you." She shot at him.

"You don't know anything about me, where do you get off telling me what's right or wrong?"

"Oh, I know plenty. You're a typical southern, backwoods boy. Raised in the middle of nowhere and taught that anyone who is different is below you. You act all tough but just because you're cute and you have a southern drawl and those amazing blue eyes, and…."she trailed off forgetting what she was saying. "You're an asshole!" she yelled at him getting frustrated that he could do that to her. She stormed off to the back of the group.

Daryl was stunned. He did not know what to say to that, so he went back to arguing with Rick, at least he knew how to do that. "These people need to know what the rules are."

"There are no rules." Rick said.

"That's the problem," Lori cut in. "We've had no time to hold on to ourselves. We need time to mourn and bury our dead. It's what people do." And she walked off, taking Rose's arm. "Come on, let's get you back to camp and hydrated. I think the sun may have fried your brain, it's the only explanation about why you would say those nice things about Daryl."

Rose kind of laughed.

"I hear that," Daryl said. "And I can be nice ya know."

"Yeah well maybe you should prove it once in a while." Rose shouted back to him. Then Lori and Rose continued their walk back to camp.

Once they got there, Lori stayed outside waiting for the group to come back while Rose went to check on Jim. He seemed a little out of it, but was doing fairly well. She checked his bandage and cleaned him up a little bit.

She looked out the window and noticed the group coming back down. She walked outside and looked down as she passed Daryl. She did notice him give her a curious look, like he didn't understand her at all. Well she felt the same towards him, every time she got close to understanding him, he would do something that would throw her off.

She noticed Rick send Carl away while he talked to Lori. Carl looked sad and Rose went to get his mind off of everything that was happening.

"Hey Carl, how are you doing?" She asked him.

"I'm ok I guess." He replied. "Do you have to be really smart to be a doctor?"

His question was so off topic it threw her off. "Um, well yeah," she replied. "I had to go through eight years of schooling to become one."

"Wow, that's a lot."

"Why do you ask?"

"I wanna do what you do. I wanna help people and stop them from dying. But I don't think I'm smart enough."

"Well, I could give you a few tips and cheats that helped me."

"Really?" He asked getting excited. "Could Sophia learn too?"

"Well of course." Rose said. She loved kids, she loved when they were her patients. It always made her job seem like a game. It would take the stress off her shoulders and she could just have fun while helping them. When Carl came back with Sophia, Rose started. "Ok, this is a song about the bones, it helps you remember what bones are where." She got caught up in playing with the kids that she forgot for a moment that the world was dying. And the world was one patient that Rose could not fix.

Daryl looked over at Rose and the kids and almost smiled. She seemed to be teaching them some kind of silly song, they were all dancing and laughing. She looked so happy for a moment. The picture of them was so peaceful, he kind of wanted to join them but knew next to nothing about kids and having fun. A new perspective of Rose opened up to him. She could put the brightest smile on a kids face, even when everything was going to hell.

Rose was having a blast with the kids. She looked up at one point to see the other adults in a very intense looking conversation. She decided she would stay out of it and keep the kids away as well, keeping them preoccupied with something fun was better than them listening to their leaders argue. She didn't notice she stopped until Carl said something.

"What's next Rose?"

"Oh," she said getting back on track. "The kneecaps." She continued.

By the time Lori walked up the kids were on the ground laughing. It was kind of hard for them to pronounce all the long medical terms, and they laughed even harder every time they tried. When Lori walked up she had a frown on her face but when she saw Rose and the kids she broke into a grin.

"What is going on over here?" She asked.

"Rose is teaching us things we need to know to be doctors." Carl said. "Like, did you know that the funny bone isn't even a bone? It's a nerve."

"Oh really?" Lori said. "Well that is interesting. Since we are all in the mood for learning, let's get back to the books." The kids groaned as they headed to the table. "Thank you Rose," Lori said when they were gone.

"Not a problem." Rose replied as she walked over to the table. "Hey, kids, if it's alright with your parents, I can give you a short lessen every day."

The kids turned to their parents and started begging.

"I suppose," Lori said. "I'm not going to argue about my kid wanting to learn."

"Me either." Carol agreed

Rick and Shane finally came back and started to discuss the options.

"I've been thinking about Rick's plan," Shane said. "Now, there are no guarantees. I'll be the first one to admit that. But I've known this man a long time. I trust his instincts. I say the most important thing here is that we need to stay together. So, those of you that agree, we leave first thing in the morning."


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning Rick woke up earlier than everyone else so he could go talk on the radio to see if he could reach Morgan and his son. Rose walked up the hill to him as he was finishing up.

"Any luck?" She asked him.

"No," Rick said sighing. "I don't know if he can hear me or if we are just getting on at different times."

"I'm sorry Rick. But if we want to head out we should get going." The two of them walked back down to camp in time to hear Shane's instructions.

"Ok, for those of you who have CB's, we are going to be on channel 40." He said. "Let's keep the chatter down, ok? Now if you have a problem and you don't have a CB, or you can't get signal, you're gonna hit your horn one time. That'll stop the caravan. Any questions?"

"We uh, we're not going." Morales said.

"We have family in Birmingham." His wife said. "We want to be with our people."

"You go on your own, you won't have anyone to watch your back." Shane said.

"We'll take the chance." Morales said. "I got to do what's best for my family.

"You sure?" Rick asked. If anyone understood what Morales was doing, it was Rick. The two of them just wanted to do what was best for the family.

"We talked about it. We're sure."

Rick bent down and picked up a 357 from the gun bag and a box half full of ammo. Everyone said their goodbyes started heading to the vehicles.

"What makes you think our odds are any better?" Daryl asked.

"They aren't." Rose said. "We just need to keep positive." Then she climbed in the RV without looking back at him. She decided to stay with Jim in the back to keep an eye on him.

They were driving for a few hours and Jim was only getting worse. Then all of a sudden, the radiator hose blew out on the RV, again. Everyone was outside discussing what to do when Rose noticed that Jim was going down-hill. She went outside to tell the others.

"Hey, Jim is getting worse." She said. "I don't think he can take much more." Shane and T-Dog headed up the road a ways to see what they could find while Rick followed Rose into the RV.

"We'll be back on the road soon." Rick told Jim, trying to give him some hope.

"No," Jim argued. "My bones are like glass. Every little bump, this ride is killing me. Leave me here."

"Jim, no," Rose said. "If we can make it to the CDC we might be able to fix it."

"No, I'm done. Just leave me, I want to be with my family."

Rick knelt down to him. "They're all dead, I don't think you know what you're asking. The fever, you've been more delirious more often than not."

"I know, don't you think I know." Jim said trying to sit up. "I'm clear now, in five minutes I might not be. Rick, I know what I'm asking. I want this. Leave me here. Now that's on me, ok? My decision, not your failure."

Rick nodded and stood up. When he got to the front of the RV Rose stopped him. "Rick, you can't be serious."

He stepped out of the RV to address the rest of the group about it. Rose followed him.

"It's what he says he wants." Rick started.

"And he's lucid?" Carol asked. Rick looked at Rose to answer that.

"I would say yes," Rose started reluctantly. "He seems more lucid than he has been for a while."

"Back in the camp," Dale started. "When I said Daryl might be right and you shut me down, you misunderstood. I would never go along with just callously killing a man. I was just going to suggest that we ask Jim what he wanted. And I think we have an answer."

"We just leave him here?" Shane asked. "We just take off? I'm not sure I could live with that"

"It's not your call," Lori said. "Either one of you."

With that, Shane and Rick helped Jim off of the RV and over to a tree in the shade. Rose couldn't go and watch it so she decided to stay by the RV. She felt bad every time she failed with a patient, and this was no different. She stood in the RV staring at the bed Jim used to be in. It was hurting her and when the group came back Rick noticed it.

"You ok?" He asked her.

"Yeah," she muttered. "Just chalk it up to another failure and being reminded by it every time I look at that bed. But it's just like a hospital, soon another person is going to get sick and lay in that bed also."

"You can ride in a different vehicle if you want." He suggested.

"The only other one available is Daryl's and I am not riding with him. I'll be fine." She sat down on the booth by the table to prove her point.

Everyone got into their vehicles and they headed out again towards the CDC. When they arrived, however, things were not the way they had hoped. The ground was littered with dead bodies. Soldiers, civilians, and employees alike, all of them shot in the head. Rose wasn't sure if there was anyone still left inside. There was only one way to find out though.

They quietly but quickly made their way to the doors, making sure to stay in a tight group just in case some of these bodies were not entirely dead. They got to the doors only to find out they were locked. Shane pounded on one, but nothing.

"There's nobody here." T-Dog said.

"There has to be." Rose said, "There just has to be."

"Then why are the shutters down?" Rick stated

"Walkers!" Daryl shouted.

Everyone turned around and pulled out their weapons of choice. Of course Rose was still unarmed due to the fact that she never learned how to fire a gun or use any object as a weapon. She stood there quiet and still. Not knowing what to do and silently freaking out. Daryl saw the terrified look on her face and went to stand in front of her.

"Stay behind me." He instructed. She was not going to argue with him at this moment. She nodded her head and did as he said. "You led us into a grave yard." He shouted at Rick as he shot an arrow into a walkers head.

"He made a call." Shane shouted back.

"It was the wrong damn call." Daryl retorted walking over to him but making sure to keep Rose right next to him by grabbing her arm.

"Shut up, you hear me just shut up." Shane said to Daryl then turned to Rick. "Rick, this is a dead end."

"Where are we going to go?" Carol asked.

"We have to go. We can't be this close to the city this close to dark." Lori stated.

The whole group started to argue about what to do, everyone was talking over each other, except for Daryl and Rose. Daryl was still holding Rose's arm close to him.

"Daryl, I'm scared." Rose whimpered. "I know you're just going to make fun of me, but I can't fight, I can't take care of myself, I'm going to die." She was almost crying now.

"No," Daryl said looking in her eyes with determination, and said something she thought she would never hear from him. "You are not going to die here. I will make sure of that. Stay close to me." He saw the tears welling up in her eyes and he did something they both never thought he would do. He pulled her into his chest and wrapped one arm around her and comforted her.

The whole group was arguing but they were lost in their own world at the moment. Maybe he could be nice and have a heart, was all Rose thought. He just proved it. He could leave her alone and let her attempt to make it on her own, but he chose to protect her, he chose to care about someone for the first time in a long time.

"The camera, it moved." Rick said suddenly.

"You imagined it." Shane said. "Let's go."

Shane and Rick started to argue and Daryl pulled Rose closer as she started crying. Shane was trying to pull Rick away from the doors and towards the cars. And Rick just kept yelling at the camera. Just as everyone turned to walk away they heard a noise behind. They all turned to the doors as one started to open.

For a moment they stood and stared, not believing their luck. They finally walked in and were met with a guy with a shot gun.

"Anyone infected?" The man asked.

"One of our group was, he didn't make it." Rick answered. Rose was reminded of how they just left Jim there on the side of the road. It didn't feel right to her to just leave him, but it was his choice. She made sure to stay behind Daryl to stay safe while the man was holding a gun pointed at them.

"Why are you here? What do you want?" The man questioned.

"A chance" Rick answered.

"That's asking an awful lot these days."

"I know."

The man looked around at everyone in the group. Seeing all the terrified faces and children must have made him merciful. "You'll all submit to a blood test. That's the price for admission."

"We can do that"

"You got stuff to bring in, you do it now. Once this door closes it stays closed."

Everyone rushed out to the vehicles staying on guard. Rose stayed close to Daryl until she had to go to the RV to grab her duffel, but once she exited she was right back by his side.

"VI, seal the main entrance, kill the power up here." The man said to someone who wasn't there.

The doors closed and the lights shut off.


	9. Chapter 9

The man introduced himself as Dr. Edwin Jenner and they all piled into an elevator.

"Doctors always go around carrying heat like that?" Daryl asked

"There were plenty left lying around. I familiarized myself." Jenner answered. "You all seem harmless enough. Except you." He said looking at Carl playfully. "I have to keep my eye on you."

"Are we underground?" Carol asked.

"You claustrophobic?" Jenner asked.

"A little."

"Try not to think about it." He said as they entered a big room. "VI, bring up the lights in the big room." Again Rose could not see who he was talking to but all the lights in the room came up. "Welcome to zone 5"

"Where is everybody?" Rick asked. "The Doctors, the staff?"

"I'm it." Jenner answered. "It's just me here."

"What about the person you were speaking with?" Rose asked

"VI, say hello to our guests," Jenner said looking at Rose. "Tell them, welcome."

Then they heard a computerized voice. "Hello guests, welcome." It said.

"I'm all that's left." Jenner said. "I'm sorry." Then he led them to a room that looked like a class room and took blood samples. When he got to Rose he mentioned how calm was during the needle and extracting blood.

"I'm a doctor myself," she told him. "Well, I used to be anyway. By the way, what's the point? If we were infected we would be running fevers."

"I've already broken every rule in the book by letting you in here. Let me just at least be thorough."

"It's not like anyone is left to care."

"You're right, but while I am here, I will still continue to do my job, and this is part of it. All done."

Rose stumbled a little bit when she stood up. Daryl quickly reached out and helped her.

"You ok?" Jenner asked.

"She hasn't eaten in days." Jacqui said. "None of us have."

That struck an idea into Jenner's head. Next thing they knew they were all around a table with good food and even some red wine, of course though Daryl had something much stronger than wine. They were all having a great time. Rose was sitting next to Daryl and the more they drank the more they flirted.

Dale was currently trying to convince Lori to let Carl have a little bit of wine. "You know in Italy it's normal for kids to drink wine, and France."

"Well, when Carl is in Italy or France, he can have some then."

"You know," Rose cut in. "Studies show that a glass of wine now and then, sometimes even one a day, is good for you. I'm pretty sure they are talking about adults though."

"Exactly, thank you." Lori said.

"But," Rose continued. "I am a doctor and I say that just a small amount of wine is not going to hurt the child. In fact I am strongly suggesting that he at least taste it. Doctor's orders." She said raising her glass.

Lori took her hand off Carl's glass and let Dale pour him a small amount. Of course once Carl tasted it he immediately decided that he didn't like it, made the eww sound and everything.

"That's my boy." Lori said.

"Just stick to soda there little bud." Shane said.

"Not you Glenn," Daryl spoke up. "Keep drinking little man, I wanna see how red your face can get." Everyone laughed.

Then Rick stood up and clinked his glass. "It seems to me, we haven't thanked our host properly."

"He is more than just our host." T-Dog said holding up his glass. Everyone cheered and held up their glasses as Daryl held up his bottle.

"Here's to you Doc, booyah." He said. Then he sat back down next to Rose and held the bottle towards her. "Want some?" He asked her.

"No thanks, I think I'll stick to wine." She replied.

"Pssh, you're no fun."

Now she had to prove him wrong, so she took the bottle and took a huge, long swig of it. He just looked at her for a moment, surprised.

"Whoa, where did that come from?" He asked her, clearly impressed.

"I went to a lot of parties when I was younger, learned how to drink like a man. I just try to stay away from it now because I don't think clearly when I drink the hard stuff." She explained.

"Well," Daryl said leaning in closer. "No one is supposed to think clearly tonight, it's a mini vacation."

With that she looked him in the eyes and took another long swig and handed the bottle back to him throughout dinner they shared the bottle, passing it back and forth. Rose knew that no good was going to come of this, but she was in a moment of happiness and she didn't care right now.

"So when you gonna tell us what the hell happened here, doc?" Shane asked, ruining the fun moment. "All the other doctors that were supposed to be figuring out what happened, where are they?"

"We're celebrating Shane, we don't need to do this now." Rick said sternly.

"Whoa, wait a second. This is why we're here right? This was your move, supposed to find all the answers, instead we find him. We found one man, why?"

"Well," Jenner started. "When things got bad, a lot of people just left. Went off to be with their families, and when things got worse, when the military got over run, the rest bolted."

"Every last one?" Shane asked.

"No, many couldn't face walking out the door." It was obvious Jenner did not like Shane by the way he was responding to his questions. "They opted out. There was a rash of suicides. That was a bad time."

"You didn't leave, why?" Andrea asked him.

"I just kept working, hoping to do some good."

"Because, that is what doctors do when everything turns to shit." Rose said, she could feel herself losing sobriety. "When everyone, and everything, goes downhill, it's the great doctors that stay and fight for good, hoping to save people." She looked at Rick when she said the last part. He was the reason she stayed behind. She could not leave one of her patients behind to wake up to a world like this alone.

"Dude, you are such a buzz kill, man." Glenn said to Shane.

After everyone was done with dinner, Jenner showed them down a hallway where there were rooms to stay in and told them where the rec room was.

Daryl and Rose were in the back of the group. Since it had been a long time that Rose drank hard alcohol she was drunker than she thought, she was having a hard time walking so Daryl was holding her arm to steady her, and making fun of her the whole way.

"I thought you were used to the hard stuff." He said to her.

"I told you it's been a long, long time." She laughed.

If you shower, go easy on the hot water." They heard Jenner say.

"A shower sounds wonderful." Rose said.

"Well then, let's go." Daryl said pulling her towards a room with a shower. It was surprising that no one noticed them sneak off like that. When Daryl pulled her with him into the bathroom she was surprised.

"Together?" She asked him.

"Why not?" He responded while setting the bottle down and walking closer to her.

He grabbed the bottom of her shirt and began to raise it. And since Rose was highly intoxicated, she let him pull it off over her head before she did the same to him. Daryl turned the water on and they finished undressing. They both sighed in content as they stepped under the hot water. It had been so long since they had a nice hot shower. Then Daryl cupped her face in his hand and leaned down and kissed her. After that one kiss Rose lost all sobriety and gave in, and they didn't just shower.

When they stepped out they wrapped themselves in towels and Rose made her way to the adjoining room to find some clean clothes to change into. She had just grabbed her duffel and set it on the bed when two hands stopped her. He grabbed her shoulders from behind and turned her around.

"Ready for round two?" He asked.

She dropped the duffel from her hands and grabbed his face and kissed him. The first time in the shower was soft and gentle but this time he pushed her on the bed and climbed on top of her. Even though it was rough, it was nothing compared to what she went through many years ago. With Daryl, she wanted it, and craved it.

They both fell asleep in the bed, his arms around her and her head on his chest. For the first time since her first nightmare, Rose was able to sleep peacefully. No walkers invaded her mind, she didn't even dream, she just fell into a sweet slumber with a smile on her face.

When she woke, however, her smile faded as did her happiness, when at first she realized what she did the night before and even more so when she realized that she was in bed alone. Daryl left before she woke up. She was sure that he might just be a nice guy under all his tough guy appearance, but she was wrong, he was just some guy that wanted to get laid and got her drunk to do it. Maybe he thought she was so drunk that she wouldn't remember it. Well that was her curse. She always remembered the things that happened to her, no matter how much she drank.

Feeling terrible with herself, she got up, took another shower to wash him off of her, and dressed in a pair of clean jeans and a clean black v neck t shirt. She slipped on some socks and her shoes and made her way to the dining room acting as if nothing happened. If he wanted her to not remember it then that was how she would act.

She walked into the dining room and sat down at the table. Across from her were Carl, Lori and Rick. Everyone else was scattered around the room, Daryl was standing to the side watching her, and she paid no attention to him. When she sat down, Daryl decided to sit but kept a good distance away from her. Probably not sure if Rose remembered or not.

"Dad's hung over." Carl said.

"Oh is he?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, are you hung over too?" He asked her.

"Like you wouldn't believe." She lied, to try to convince Daryl that she really did not remember. "Let this be a lesson Carl, never mix your alcohols, Wine and Whiskey, no bueno."

Carl laughed at her and continued eating his breakfast.

"Eggs," T-Dog said walking up to the table with a pan. "Powdered, but I do 'em good. I bet you can't tell. Protein helps the hang over." He said getting louder as he got closer to Glenn.

"Where'd all this come from?" Rick asked as he shook a bottle of pills.

"Jenner," Lori said.

"Can you help me please?"

Lori opened the bottle for him. "Do you want some?" She said turning to Rose.

"Oh, no thanks, I prefer the natural method of protein to make mine go away."

"Don't ever, ever, ever let me drink again." Glenn moaned. Rose just had to laugh at him.

"Hey," Shane greeted as he walked into the room.

"Hey," Rick responded. "You feel as bad as I do?"

"Worse."

"What the hell happened to you?" T-Dog asked Shane. "Your neck." Everyone looked over at Shane and noticed some red scratches on his neck that he didn't have the night before.

"I must have done it in my sleep."

"I've never seen you do that before." Rick said.

"Me neither." Shane responded. "Not like me at all." He looked over at Lori when he said the last part.

Rose now had to admit that something was weird between those two. First the argument at the quarry, the looks they've been giving each other, and now this.

"Morning," Jenner greeted as he walked in and went straight to the coffee.

Everyone said their greeting and then Dale spoke.

"Doctor, I don't mean to slam you with questions first thing," Dale started.

"But you will anyway." Jenner interrupted.

"We didn't come here for the eggs." Andrea said rudely.

Jenner turned and looked at the group for a moment before leading them back to the big room.

"Give me a playback of TS-19." Jenner said to the computer. It did as requested and they could see the pictures coming up on the screen. "Few people ever got a chance to see this."

Rose was getting worried now and Daryl could see it on her face. Part of him wanted to go comfort her, but the other part would not allow him to. Especially after last night and even more so since she seemed to not remember last night at all.

"Is that a brain?" Carl asked.

"An extraordinary one," Jenner answered. "Not that it matters in the end." It must have been someone he knew by the look on his face. "Take us in for the E.I.V."

"Enhanced internal view," VI responded and zoomed into a side view of the inside of the brain. They could see the electrodes working and flashing lights in the brain.

"What are those lights?" Daryl asked.

"It's a person's life." Rose answered rudely to him.

"That's right." Jenner said.

"Experiences, memories, it's everything." Rose continued.

"Yes," Jenner said. "And somewhere in all that organic wiring, all those ripples of life, is you. The thing that makes you unique and human."

"You don't make sense, ever?" Daryl asked.

"Those are synapses," Rose said, trying to dumb it down for him. "Electric impulses in the brain that carry all the messages, they determine everything a person says, does or thinks form the moment of birth to the moment of death." Rose ended sadly realizing what they were watching."

"Death?" Rick asked walking towards Jenner. "That's what this is, a vigil?"

"Yes," Jenner said simply getting lost in the screen. "Or rather the playback of a vigil," he said coming back to the group.

"This person died?" Andrea asked. "Who?"

"Test subject 19." Jenner answered. "Someone who was bitten and infected, and volunteered to have us record the process. VI, scan forward to the first event."

The computer scanned forward and showed the brain growing dark with bits of purple and blue.

"What is that?" Glenn asked.

"It invades the brain like meningitis." Jenner said. "The adrenal glands hemorrhage. The brain goes into shutdown then the major organs, then death. Everything you ever were or ever will be, gone."

"Is that what happened to Jim?" Sophia asked.

"Yes," Carol answered.

Andrea started to cry and Jenner noticed curiously.

"She lost somebody, two days ago." Lori answered.

"I lost somebody too." Jenner said to Andrea. "I know how devastating it is. Scan to the second event." The computer complied. "The resurrection times vary wildly. We had reports of it happening in as little as three minutes, the longest we heard of was eight hours. In the case of this patient, it was two hours, one minute, seven seconds.

The screen showed the brain dark and dead, but then when the computer got to the second event, it showed red lights in a small select area coming back on.

"It restarts the brain?" Lori asked.

"No, that's just the brain stem." Rose said quietly.

"Correct." Jenner said. "Basically it gets them up and moving."

"But, they're not alive." Rick said, looking for confirmation.

Jenner turned to him and waved his hand at the screen, "You tell me." He said.

"It's nothing like before, most of that brain is dark."

"Dark, lifeless, dead. The frontal lobe the neo-cortex, the human part, that doesn't come back. The you part. Just a shell driven by mindless instinct."

Just then they saw the point of a gun come in and put a bullet through the brain.

"God, what was that?" Carol asked.

"He shot his patient in the head." Andrea said. "Didn't you?"

"VI, power down the main screen and the workstations." The screen shut off as did the computers, while Jenner walked away from the screen.

"You have no idea what it is, do you?" Andrea asked.

"It could be microbial, viral, parasitic, fungal," he listed off.

"Or the wrath of God?" Jacqui asked.

"There is that."

Rose tuned out of the conversation, knowing it wasn't going to be good news. Knowing that there was no cure, no one else out there trying to fix it. Everyone was gone. Instead she sat down in a chair and looked up. She noticed the red numbers, the countdown. Being a doctor she knew some things about the CDC, all the things that were locked inside that could never get out. It didn't take her long to realize what the countdown meant. And she was strangely comfortable with it. After all, there was nothing left for her.

She heard Dale ask about the clock that she was staring at. Then she heard Jenner explain in a roundabout way what would happen. Since they didn't get the answer they wanted from Jenner, they asked VI. That's when they started getting worried. Everyone rushed out of the room to look for the generator fuel and hopefully fix the problem that Rose knew there was no answer to. She stayed in the room, lost in thought, staring at the clock and counting down with it.

She went to find Dr. Jenner, she found him in his office looking at a picture of someone. She was surprised that he hadn't heard her enter.

"Someone you lost?" she asked.

He turned, startled because he hadn't heard her approach. "Yeah, my wife," he explained. "She was one of the most brilliant minds here."

"That's exactly what you said about TS-19." Rose mentioned. And then it clicked, "TS-19 was your wife?"

"Yes," he said simply. He stood up looking out the glass windows of his office, holding back tears. "We always think there's gonna be more time." He said as the lights started powering down. "Then it runs out." He turned to Rose. "Promise me something. Don't be afraid to live. In the events of the end of the world, don't be afraid to take a chance. Don't think, just do." And he walked out of the room.

Rose quietly followed after him and he was bombarded with questions as he walked down the hallway that held all the rooms. Questions like why was the air off? Why were the lights shutting down? Stupid useless questions like that. Rose only had one question on her mind, why was she still alive? When there was nothing for her to live for, why was she still alive?


	10. Chapter 10

"What's going on, why is everything turning off?" Daryl asked as he popped his head out of his room with the bottle of alcohol in his hand. Everybody started following Jenner to the computer lab.

As Jenner walked past him he grabbed the bottle from Daryl and kept walking as he answered the questions.

"Energy use is being prioritized." He answered simply.

"Air isn't a priority?" Dale asked. "And lights?"

"It's not up to me. Zone 5 is shutting itself down."

"Hey," Daryl yelled at him. "Hey, what the hell does that mean?" When he realized that Jenner wasn't going to answer he ran after him. "Hey man, I'm talking to you. What do you mean it's shutting itself down? How can a building do anything?"

"You'd be surprised." Jenner said simply. Just then Rick and the others came running into the room.

"Jenner, what's happening?" Rick demanded as he marched up to Dr. Jenner.

"The system is dropping all the nonessential uses of power." He said. He always had to say it in the most complicated way so that the others couldn't quite understand it. "It's designed to keep the computers running to the last possible second. That started as we approached the half hour mark. Right on schedule." He said as he pointed to the red countdown.

Everyone gathered around him not sure of what to say as he drank from his bottle. Rose just sat in a chair and got comfortable. She made her decision of what she was going to do now.

Jenner handed the bottle to Daryl and started to explain to the group that the French were the last people to hold out, thinking that they were close to a solution but that the power had run out and their time was up. The same thing that was happening here.

The alarms started going off and VI came on over the speaker. "30 minutes to decontamination"

Everybody started freaking out and tried to make their way to get their possessions when the door to the room sealed shut. That only made things worse.

Daryl made his way to the doctor yelling about how he locked us in and was about to hit Jenner with the bottle of alcohol when Shane and T-Dog grabbed him, but Daryl kept fighting against them. As Rick went to the doctor to get an answer, Rose went to Daryl to try to calm him down.

"Would you shut up?" She said to him, so not exactly the best approach to calming someone down, but she was still mad at him from the night before.

"Excuse me?" he asked in disbelief.

"You heard me. Just calm down. Accept what is going to happen here. This place is going blow itself up and us with it."

"How is that supposed to calm me down? Are you saying you want to stay in here and die with it?"

"Yes, I have nothing else to live for. The world is ending and we are dumb to believe that we will make it out. I lived my life alone and now I will die alone."

"Is this about last night?"

"What happened last night?" She asked and walked away, taking the bottle with her.

Shane and T-Dog looked at Daryl with questioning eyes about what he had said about last night.

"Shove off." He said to them and walked away.

"You know what this place is?" Rose suddenly heard Jenner yell at the group. "We protected the public from very nasty stuff! Weaponized small pox! Ebola strains that could wipe out half the country! Stuff you don't want getting out! Ever!" He calmed down a bit and sat back in his chair. "In the event of a catastrophic power failure," he started to explain calmly, "in a terrorist attack, for example, H.I.T's are deployed to prevent any organisms from getting out."

"H.I.T's?" Rick asked him.

"VI define." Jenner said.

"HIT'S, high-impulse thermobaric fuel-air explosives consist of a two stage aerosol ignition that produces a blast wave of significantly greater power and duration than any other known explosive except nuclear. The vacuum-pressure effect ignites the oxygen between 5,000 and 6,000 degrees and is useful when the greatest loss of life and damage to structures is desired." VI explained

"It sets the air on fire." Jenner explained in terms the group could understand.

"No pain," Rose said. "An end to sorrow, grief, regret. Everything."

"You can't want to live like that." Daryl said to her as he took the bottle back.

"No, I don't. Because it's not living, it's ending. And that's what I want. To end everything so that I don't have to live with the regret of never really living in the first place, of never taking chances on anything, like fun, friends, or even love." She said as she walked away and sat in another chair.

Things only got worse after that. Daryl threw the bottle at the door, so now he didn't even have anything to calm him remotely. "Open the damn door!" He yelled at Jenner.

When Jenner didn't respond both Shane and Daryl started to hit the door with axes in hopes that it would bust it open. Men were so dumb sometimes, Rose thought.

"Can't make a dent." Shane said as he came back to the group.

"These doors are designed to withstand a rocket launcher." Jenner said.

"Well your head ain't." Daryl shouted as he ran towards Jenner with the axe. This time it took three of the guys to wrestle the axe away from him.

Rose shook her head and made her way farther from the group and sat down, getting lost in her own thoughts. She vaguely noticed Shane point a gun at Jenner's head and demand the door to be opened. Why did they have to fight so much for another way to die? She didn't move until Shane started shooting computers. Then she moved back to the group as Rick had to take the gun from Shane.

"What the hell is wrong with everyone?" She yelled at everyone. "You're only fighting him to get out of here and just die out there. We are all going to die out there. What's the point of all this?"

Rick got the gun from Shane and looked at Rose in disbelief. He never thought he would hear her say that. She was so very different from the girl he met only a few days ago. "How could you say that? If that's the way you feel then why did you hide in my hospital room instead of stepping in line to get shot?" He asked her.

"Because I didn't realize what I know now. Yes, only a couple days ago I was fighting to live, but Jenner is right and now, I'm comfortable with staying here and dying just like I would out there. I can't protect myself, I don't know how to fight, and I can't expect all of you to protect me. I would just be the weak link and end up getting others killed."

Rick shook his head and turned back to Jenner and demanded answers. Rose sat there and listened to Jenner explain to them about his wife and how he promised to keep going as long as he could, while Daryl kept hitting the door with the axe in the background. Rose walked up to Daryl while the group pleaded with Jenner.

"Why do you have to keep hitting the door? You know it's not going to do anything." She said to him.

"Why do you have to give up hope? You don't know that you are going to die." He responded and continued hitting the door.

"It's a highly likely chance that I will. I'm just speeding up the process by staying here. Besides, you all don't know me well enough to care if I die."

"These people took you in, that means they care. You have become a friend to them, to Sophia and Carl, they care, and that should keep you going. But if you're right and they don't care, I do."

"Oh Daryl," she said putting her hand on his shoulder making him stop his useless pounding on the door and look at her. "If you cared, you would have been there next to me when I woke up this morning." She started walking back towards the group as Jenner opened the doors. She stopped and turned around.

"Come on," Daryl said to her.

The group was getting together by the door and Rose just stared at Daryl. Nothing he could say or do now would change her mind. She made her choice. She turned from him and sat down in a chair. She took one last look towards where he was and saw him running down the hallway. She turned back and saw Dale trying to convince Andrea that she needed to come with him. It was a useless attempt.

Then all of a sudden she felt herself being lifted up and thrown over someone's shoulder. She could smell the woods, dirt and blood. She looked up at the back of Daryl's head.

"What the hell are you doing?" She yelled and started trying to get free but he was much stronger than her.

"Proving that someone cares if you live or die." He said as he ran towards the window leading outside.

"Oh like you care." She scoffed, still struggling against him. They were outside now and running towards his truck.

He put her down behind the truck but grabbed her as she tried to make a run back towards the building. She saw Dale and Andrea come running out as well.

The countdown was up. The building blew and Daryl covered Rose to protect her.

"Yes, I do." He said when it was over and kissed her. When the kiss ended she looked at him, and slapped him.

The other vehicles were starting up and leaving so Rose had no other choice but to get into Daryl's truck with him. As soon as they stopped she was going to hop into someone else's vehicle.


	11. Chapter 11

The drive was basically quiet, just Daryl trying to make small talk and Rose ignoring him. They stopped a few times to syphon gas from other cars, but Rose never got the chance to switch vehicles. The second time they stopped they all decided that they would have to leave a few vehicles behind. They ended up keeping the bike, Ricks vehicle, and the RV.

"Rick, you can't be serious." Rose argued as the some of the group was syphoning gas.

"What?" He asked innocently.

"You cannot expect me to ride on the back of Daryl's motorcycle."

"What? Are you afraid of motorcycles?"

"Rick, I cannot stand that man. Let me trade with someone. I would rather die than ride with him."

"Well you almost did, and he saved your life. All the other vehicles are full and you can't trade with someone because he won't let anyone else on that bike. So deal with it." He was kind of rude but he was still mad at her for her behavior at the CDC.

She reluctantly walked over to Daryl and his bike. "You ready?" He asked her.

She didn't say anything, but just quietly climbed on the back of his bike and waited for him to get on and start going. Unfortunately this bike did not have a back rest for the person in the back so she had to hold on to Daryl to keep from falling off, but she made sure to keep her hands on his shoulders.

Once again the ride was uneventful. Rose was thankful for the bike being loud, it meant that Daryl couldn't try to talk to her. It had only been a day since he dragged her out of the CDC so she was still very much angry with him.

They were on what looked like an interstate when all of a sudden there came a traffic jam that looked like maybe they couldn't get around. Daryl turned around and headed to the RV to talk to Dale.

"See a way around?" Dale asked.

Daryl just nodded and made a gesture that said follow me. They were carefully making their way around the mess when the RV made a very bad sound. They all stopped and as soon as the bike stopped Rose hopped off.

"I said it, a thousand times. Dead in the water." Dale said.

"Problem Dale?" Shane asked.

"Just a small matter of being stuck in the middle of nowhere with no hope of," Dale trailed off and looked at Daryl looting through another vehicle for supplies. "Ok, that was dumb."

"If you can't find a radiator hose here, there's a whole bunch of stuff we could find." Daryl said.

Rose had to try very hard to ignore the fact that for once Daryl was being smart. She turned away from the group and started to look for medical supplies.

"I can siphon more fuel from these cars for a start." T-Dog offered.

"Maybe some water?" Carol asked.

Their voices got quieter as Rose walked away. She wasn't intending to get away from the group, just one person in particular.

Daryl looked up and noticed Rose walking further away so he started to follow her but still looking through cars to make it look unintentional. It wasn't that he particularly really cared for her, he told himself, it was just that she was part of the group and the group protects one another. Of course he didn't like her, that was a sign of weakness and he refused to let himself be weak. He was just keeping an eye on her because no one else was.

Rose looked back to see that the whole group had taken up looking around and scavenging what they could use. She could only find a few first aid kits or bottles of aspirin. She noticed Dale took his usual spot on top of the RV to keep a look out. As she kept smelling the dead bodies, Rose was feeling sick. It wasn't normal, she was a doctor, a surgeon, the smell of blood or decaying flesh never made her nauseas. As she was looking back at the group she noticed Shane found some water. That was going to help a lot. She opened the door of another care and the smell made her immediately want to throw up, but she held it back. She couldn't figure out what was wrong with her.

She sat down against a car and saw that T-Dog was nearby.

"You ok?" He asked seeing her sick looking face.

"Yeah, must just be from lack of food or something." She responded. That was when she smelled the rest. She looked up and saw a heard of walkers. She mouthed to T-Dog and they both slunk behind cars, not knowing where to go.

On the way down T-Dog's arm got sliced on a piece of ripped metal from a car. Now he was bleeding and the walkers would be able to smell it. They both silently moved to a different car together to try to stay out of sight. Rose ripped a piece of his shirt off and tied it around his wound hoping he wouldn't bleed out.

Suddenly T-Dog was grabbed and thrown to the ground. Rose looked up and saw Daryl putting a dead body on top of T-Dog.

"What the hell?" She whispered to him.

He shushed her and pulled her to the ground as well. Oh no she thought. Daryl put one on top of her as well and did the same to himself. She had to put her hand over her mouth and nose to keep from emptying her stomach. Why was she feeling like this?

With the bodies on top of them, the walkers could not smell the live flesh, or the blood coming from T-Dog's arm. Rose looked and saw that others were underneath the cars. When she was sure that the walkers were gone she threw the dead body off of her as Daryl went to check on T-Dog. As soon as she was free she threw up all the nothingness that was in her stomach. She was hunched over and emptying anything that was left.

"What's wrong with you?" Daryl asked as he noticed her.

"Nothing," she lied. She looked towards the kids and saw Sophia look around and start to crawl out from under the car, only to have a straggling walker see her. She rolled to the other side of the car and started running into the woods. Rick immediately left his protection and grabbed his gun and ran after her without a second thought.

When Rose was done puking she rushed over to Carol's side by the guard rail looking out into the woods. Rick was gone for quite some time. Carol stayed waiting by the guard rail while Lori stayed with her. Rose was exhausted so she decided to go sit by the RV.

When Rick returned there was no sign of Sophia with him. Carol started freaking out, but Daryl immediately volunteered to go back out with Rick to look for her. The two left with Shane and Glenn following. Rose remained behind and sat against a car, waiting for the four men to come back with Sophia. She had to admit that at least with Daryl they stood a chance at finding her. He was a good tracker.

Shane and Glenn returned by themselves and said that Daryl and Rick were still looking and would continue until it got too dark.

Carol was talking to Dale about why they were working and not looking for Sophia. Lori tried calming her by saying we weren't leaving until she was found. Everyone went back to working and Glenn brought Rose a bottle of water.

"You look like you could use this." He said to her.

"Thanks," she replied taking it from him.

"You look really sick, are you sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine, just trying to remember last time I felt this sick." Then it dawned on her. The last time she felt this sick, the last time she was throwing her guts up was when she was, no it couldn't be. That would kill her.

Dale was watching her face, the expressions that passed over her as she thought. She stood up quickly, thanked him again and walked away. She looked over and saw Lori and Shane having one of those conversations they usually had when Rick wasn't around. She walked closer as Shane started up the car he was working on.

"The emergency alert system has been activated." The car radio started saying as the group got closer to listen. "The office of Civil Defense has issued the following message: Normal broadcasting will cease immediately. This is a civil emergency."

"Is that a local station?" Glenn asked.

"It's got to be within 50 miles of here." Dale said.

Shane shut the car off and told everyone to get back to work. Rose continued raiding cars and trying to keep her stomach in check.

She opened a car with a family of 5 in it. Of course they were all dead, and that was worse. The smell of all the dead people in there was too much. She emptied all the water that she just drank.

Glenn approached her as she was puking and knelt down next to her. "Maybe you should take it easy. Perhaps go sit in the RV and rest." She just nodded and let him lead her there.

"I'm not running a fever so you don't have to worry about me being infected." She said as he helped her lay on the bed in the back.

"I wasn't worried about that." He poured some water on a rag and put it on her forehead, gave her another bottle of water and walked out.

"They're back." Rose heard Glenn say a little while later. She stood up and rushed outside, hoping that Sophia would be with them. As she exited the RV she heard Carol talk before she saw.

"You didn't find her."

"The trail went cold, we'll pick it up again at first light." Rick explained.

"You can't leave my daughter out there on her own. To spend the night alone in the woods."

"Tracking out in the dark's no good." Daryl said. "We'd just be tripping over ourselves. More people would get lost."

"But she's 12. She can't be out there on her own. You didn't find anything?"

"I know this is hard." Rick said. "But I'm asking you not to panic. We know she was out there."

"We tracked her for a while." Daryl said.

"We have to make this an organized effort." Rick explained. "Daryl knows the woods better than anybody. I've asked him to oversee this."

Rose knew this was hard on Carol, but it was also hard on Rick and Daryl, they both wanted to find that girl so bad. And she knew that Daryl would do everything he could to find her. Other than the night at the CDC, he had grown to be more part of the group, to be somewhat nicer and less of a hillbilly. He was actually shaping up to be sort of a good guy. This made things harder for Rose. She wanted to avoid him at all costs, but with him making an attempt to fix things with her, she was finding it hard to ignore him. And with this new information she realized she couldn't keep this from him. He had a right to know.

"Is that blood?" Carol asked, breaking Rose out of her thoughts. She looked and saw that indeed Daryl was covered in blood.

"We took down a walker." Rick explained quickly.

"Walker?" Oh my God."

"There was no sign it was anywhere near Sophia."

"How can you know that?" Andrea said.

Rick looked at Daryl, not wanting to answer. Knowing Daryl, Rose was not wanting to hear the answer and she was right.

"We cut the son of a bitch open, made sure." Daryl said.

It made Rose's stomach sick just hearing it and she had to fight to not throw up again. Glenn looked at her worried. She was not able to fight very well though. She had to walk away from the group. Just thinking about what it looked and smelled like, she went behind a car and threw up.

"What's wrong with you?" She looked up and saw Daryl.

"Nothing, just feeling a little sick." She said

"Glenn says you've been throwing up all day from the smell of dead people. This shouldn't affect you, being a doctor and all."

"It's nothing." She lied to him. Now was not the time to tell him.

The next day everyone gathered around as Rick went on about what they would do.

"I want to help look." Rose said to Rick.

"You sure you're feeling ok?" He asked.

"Yes, I feel much better today." She lied.

"Ok, but you stay with Daryl. You still don't know how to use a gun or anything and if anyone can protect someone else as well as himself it's Daryl. Everybody takes a weapon."

"These aren't the kind of weapons we need." Andrea argued as Rick unrolled the weapons Carl found the day before. "What about the guns?"

"We've been over that." Shane said. "Daryl, Rick and I are carrying. We can't have people popping off rounds every time a tree rustles."

"It's not the trees I'm worried about."

"Say somebody fires at the wrong moment, a herd happens to be passing by. See, then it's game over for all of us. So you need to get over it."

"The idea is to take the creek up, about five miles, turn around and come back down the other side." Daryl began to explain. "Chances are, she'll be by the creek. It's her only landmark." He walked off and Rose followed

Andrea approached Dale and started having an angry conversation with him that the whole group could hear. About how he took her choice and that she wanted to die.

"She has a point." Rose said to Daryl as they started walking towards the woods.

"Are you saying I should have left you in the building to die?" He asked.

"Yes, at the time, I felt I had nothing to live for."

"And what, you've changed your mind?"

"I don't know yet but I might have something to live for now. And if I'm right, then I will need to thank you for dragging me out of there. And I'm a doctor, so its 99% that I'm right." And she walked ahead towards the rest of the group.

A little while later they came across a tent in the woods. They all stopped not knowing what was in there but hopping it was Sophia.

"She could be in there." Daryl said.

"There could be a whole bunch of things in there." Rick said.

They approached a little forward and Daryl signaled the group to stop while he went to check it out. He didn't hear anything and told Rick to approach. He brought Carol forward saying that if Sophia was in there then her voice should be the first she heard.

Daryl slowly opened the tent after Carol called out and was immediately hit with a smell. He entered the tent only to find a dead body that had committed suicide. He came out to confirm that Sophia wasn't in there.

Church bells started ringing and the whole group ran towards it. There were many ideas of who it could be. Rose stayed close to Daryl as they followed the sound of the bells. They came to a church with no steeple which Shane pointed out meant no bells, but cautiously entered only to find a few walkers sitting in the pews. Daryl, Rick and Shane took care of them quietly. Watching them kill them made Rose nauseas but she held it in.

"Yo J.C." Daryl said as he approached the statue up front. "Taking requests?"

"I'm telling you it's the wrong church. It's got no steeple Rick." Shane said.

The bells started ringing again and it was coming from the side of the church. They all ran around to see who was ringing them. They came to a box that was connected to a speaker. Glenn quickly shut it off.

"A timer," Daryl said. "It's on a timer."

Carol went back into the church to pray for a bit. Everyone scattered a little and took a break. Rose sat on the front steps and Daryl sat next to her.

"You sure you're ok?" Daryl asked her. "Because you look like shit."

"Thanks for that." Rose said. "That really makes me feel better." She was really going to try to stay on good terms with Daryl. She had to for what was coming.

"You wanna be honest with me for once?" He asked her.

"I am. Nothing is wrong with me." Of course she lied.

"Yeah, I don't buy that bull shit."

"Right now is not the time to talk about this. We are looking for Sophia." She started to feel sick again. She put a hand to her mouth and held it back. "God, I haven't felt like this since I was 20 and," she stopped, noticing that Daryl was listening.

"What was wrong when you were 20?"

She scoffed. "Everything."

Shane and Rick came back after having a talk and said that him and Rick would keep looking but that the rest of the group was to follow the creek back to the road. He left Daryl in charge.

Carl argued that he wanted to stay with his dad and Shane. Eventually they gave in and the group separated.

Dale gave Lori a gun and Rose saw Andrea scoff and walk away. She was obviously jealous that she couldn't have her gun but that Lori could have one.

"So this is it?" Carol asked as the group took a break. "This is the plan?"

"I guess the plan is to whittle us down into smaller and smaller groups." Daryl said.

"Carrying knives and pointy sticks," Andrea said. "I see you have a gun." She said turning to Lori.

Oh great, here it comes. Rose thought.

"Why you want it?" Lori asked. "Here, take it. I'm sick of the looks you're giving me. All of you. Honey, I can't imagine what you are going through." She said turning to Carol. "And I would do anything to stop it. But you have got to stop blaming Rick. It is in your face every time you look at him. When Sophia ran, he didn't hesitate, did he? Not for a second. I don't know that any of us would have gone after her the way he did, or made the hard decisions that he had to make, or that anybody could have done it any differently. Anybody? Y'all look to him and then you blame him when he's not perfect. If you think you can do this without him, go right ahead. Nobody is stopping you."

Andrea just silently handed the pistol back. "We should keep moving." She said looking slightly guilty.

As they were walking back to the road they heard a gunshot ring out through the woods. It sounded like it came from the direction the three men were at. It was a gunshot that rang in your ears long after it was done.


	12. Chapter 12

Everybody turned towards where they heard the shot come from. They decided to keep moving towards the road but every once in a while Lori would turn and look back.

"You still worrying about it?" Andrea asked.

"It was a gunshot." Lori said.

"We all heard it." Daryl said.

"Why one? Why just one gunshot?" Lori asked.

"Maybe they took down a walker."

"Please don't patronize me. You know Rick wouldn't risk a gunshot to put down one walker. Or Shane, they'd do it quietly."

"Shouldn't they have caught up with us by now?" Carol asked.

"There's nothing we can do about it anyway." Daryl said. "Can't run around these woods chasing echoes."

"So what do we do?" Lori asked.

"Same as we've been. Beat the bush for Sophia, work our way back to the highway."

"I'm sure they'll hook up with us back at the RV." Andrea said.

Rose was just leaning against a tree during the conversation. She was tired and extremely hungry. She never ate much even before the outbreak, but now she felt like she was starving and could eat a whole gallon of ice cream. Great, now come the cravings.

They started their way back towards the highway while Andrea and Carol stopped to talk.

"I'm sorry for what you're going through. I know how you feel." Andrea said.

"I suppose you do." Carol replied. "Thank you. The thought of her, out here, by herself, it's the not knowing that's killing me. I just keep hoping and praying that she don't wind up like Amy. Oh God, that's the worst thing I ever said." Realizing what she just said she gave Andrea an apologetic look.

"We're all hoping and praying with you, for what it's worth."

"I'll tell you what it's worth." Daryl interrupted. "Not a damn thing. It's a waste of time, all this hoping and praying." Rose couldn't believe what he was saying to Carol. She stood up to stop him but he continued before she could. "'Cause we're gonna locate that little girl, she's gonna be just fine. Am I the only one Zen around here? Good Lord."

Rose had to laugh a little bit at that last comment. "I never knew you could be an optimist." She said to him as they continued walking.

"Yeah, well there's a lot you don't know about me. A lot that you aren't giving me a chance to show you." He said angrily. He was mad at her for giving him the cold shoulder the other day.

"Well, maybe if you hadn't left before I woke up you would have gotten that chance." He gave her a surprised look. "Yeah, I remember. I'm just good at acting like I don't." She replied and went to walk by Lori.

"We'll lose the light before too long." Daryl said after a while. "I think we should call it."

"Let's head back." Lori said.

"Yeah, we'll pick it up again tomorrow." Carol said.

"Yeah, we'll find her tomorrow." Rose said trying to reassure her.

Daryl whistled signaling the group to start moving. And they did.

"How much farther?" Lori asked a little while later.

"Not much." Daryl answered. "Maybe a couple miles, as the crow flies."

"Too bad we're not crows." Andrea said.

As they continued walking, Andrea wandered a little farther from the group without anyone realizing it. They all heard her scream and ran in the direction the sound was coming from.

When they found her there was a walker after her. But before any of them could get to it a small, brunette haired woman on a horse came riding up bashed the walker upside the head with a baseball bat.

"Lori?" The woman asked. "Lori Grimes?"

"I'm Lori." Lori said stepping forward.

"Rick sent me, you got to come now."

"What?"

"There's been an accident. Carl's been shot. He's still alive but you've got to come now." Lori was hesitating a bit. "Rick needs you, just come." The woman urged.

Lori finally threw off her pack and headed to the horse.

"Whoa whoa whoa," Daryl said trying to stop her. "we don't know this girl, you can't get on that horse." It wasn't working.

"Rick said you had others on the highway?" The woman said. "That big traffic snarl? Backtrack to Fairburn road. Two miles down is our farm. You'll see the mailbox, the name is Greene." She kicked the horse and off they went.

After they were gone the walker decided it wasn't fully dead and sat up snarling.

"Shut up." Daryl said and shot it in the head with an arrow.

When they got back to the road the group informed Dale and T-Dog about what had happened in the woods. And then Dale told Rose that T-Dog's arm was infected and he was running a fever a bit ago.

"Let me take a look." She said. She peeled back the dressing a little to see. "Yes, it is looking quite infected. Unfortunately I was not an anesthesiologist so I didn't think to grab any pain meds or antibiotics. I was just a surgeon, if I had supplies I could at least clean it the best I could and sew it up. But all I got left in my duffel is some dressings. We can change those though."

She went to her duffel and rummaged through the stuff in hopes of finding something better. She reached the bottom found a little box with pink coloring on it. Why in the hell did she grab that? She thought. Obviously she was just grabbing random things and throwing them in and not paying attention to what she was grabbing. She grabbed the little box and put it in her back pocket so the others wouldn't see. It would come in handy for her later on.

While Rose was sitting against the RV resting the group was arguing about whether or not to go to the farm or stay behind and look for Sophia. Rose wasn't really paying attention. She was caught up in her own thoughts about what was in her back pocket. She got up and went to check on T-Dog again.

She grabbed a few dressings and went back to T-Dog. "I really wish we had some antibiotics for you." She told him apologetically.

"Why didn't y'all say anything?" Daryl said as he reached into his saddle bag on the bike. "Merle had next to everything." He pulled a bag of pills out and rummaged through it. "Here," He tossed a bottle to Rose who caught it and looked at it.

She opened it and popped some out and told T-Dog to take them. She walked over to Daryl handed it back. "What else you got in there?" She asked. He handed her the bag and she looked like she was in heaven. "Oh wow, looks like Merle saved us." She threw her arms around Daryl's neck and hugged him.

He was at a loss of what to do but in the end he just wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged back. But these mood swings were pissing him off. The others were looking at the two with odd expressions. Daryl just flipped them off. He looked down and saw a box in her back pocket. He couldn't read much of it but he saw 'Preg' on it. Hopefully it wasn't what he thought it was.

"Thank you." Rose said to Daryl and then turned to walk away.


	13. Chapter 13

The group decided that Rose, Glenn and T-Dog would go to the farm while the rest stayed to set up stuff for Sophia in case she came back while they were gone.

They were starting to gather the stuff they needed to take to the farm when Rose noticed Daryl off by himself. She slowly made her way to him. She didn't know exactly what she was going to tell him. She had no idea how he would react. She wasn't even positive if she was pregnant or not. So really there was no cause to alarm him quite yet. Too bad she realized this too late. She had already made her way next to him.

"What do you want?" He asked when he noticed her standing there quietly.

"I was wondering if we could talk." She accidently spit out. Now she had to quickly change topics.

"What do we have to talk about?" He asked as he looked and shined the flashlight around.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe about why you left me in the middle of the night."

_Daryl's Flashback to _the CDC

_"Want some?" Daryl asked Rose as he set the bottle in front of her._

_"No thanks, I think I'll stick to wine." She replied pushing it back to him._

_"Pssh, you're no fun." He said grabbing it and taking a swig._

_She surprised him as she took the bottle and took a huge, long swig of it. He just looked at her for a moment, surprised._

_"Whoa, where did that come from?" He asked her, clearly impressed and honestly, a little turned on. She was very good looking to begin with and now he knew she could drink. Which gave him an idea._

_"I went to a lot of parties when I was younger, learned how to drink like a man. I just try to stay away from it now because I don't think clearly when I drink the hard stuff." She explained._

_"Well," Daryl said leaning in closer to whisper in her ear. "No one is supposed to think clearly tonight, it's a mini vacation."_

_With that she looked him in the eyes and took another long swig and handed the bottle back to him throughout dinner they shared the bottle, passing it back and forth. Daryl knew that they both might regret this but nothing was stopping him now. They were both beyond clear thinking._

_Daryl and Rose were in the back of the group as Jenner showed everyone where they could sleep. Rose was having a hard time walking so Daryl was holding her arm to steady her, and making fun of her the whole way._

_"I thought you were used to the hard stuff." He said to her._

_"I told you it's been a long, long time." She laughed._

_If you shower, go easy on the hot water." They heard Jenner say._

_"A shower sounds wonderful." Rose said._

_"Well then, let's go." Daryl said pulling her towards a room with a shower. It was surprising that no one noticed them sneak off like that. When Daryl pulled her with him into the bathroom she was surprised._

_"Together?" She asked him._

_"Why not?" He responded while setting the bottle down and walking closer to her. _

_He grabbed the bottom of her shirt and began to raise it. And since Rose was highly intoxicated, she let him pull it off over her head before she did the same to him. Daryl turned the water on and they finished undressing. They both sighed in content as they stepped under the hot water. It had been so long since they had a nice hot shower. Then Daryl cupped her face in his hand and leaned down and kissed her. After that one kiss all sobriety was lost in Daryl. He got drunker off of her kiss than any alcohol he ever had, and they didn't just shower._

_When they stepped out they wrapped themselves in towels and Rose made her way to the adjoining room to find some clean clothes to change into. She had just grabbed her duffel and set it on the bed when Daryl put his hands on her waist and stopped her. He grabbed her shoulders from behind and turned her around. He couldn't stop at that one time. He felt like he needed her and he wasn't going to let her leave him tonight._

_"Ready for round two?" He asked._

_She dropped the duffel from her hands and grabbed his face and kissed him. The first time in the shower he made sure was soft and gentle just to be careful with her but this time he pushed her on the bed and climbed on top of her. He started soft but gradually made his way to rough and he could tell she liked it. And he did as well, he was craving her like a drug and he was not going to give up the craving._

_They both fell asleep in the bed, his arms around her and her head on his chest. For the first time in a while he was able to sleep peacefully. _

_He awoke in the middle of the night and looked down at her. She looked so peaceful as well, sleeping soundly, wearing his t shirt. He moved her hair out of her face gently with his hand and let hit slowly slide down her arm. Her skin felt good under his touch. He decided then that this was what he wanted to see every morning when he woke up. It didn't take long for her to make him fall for her. _

_And that was when Merle's voice entered his head. Calling him a sissy, a wuss, a love struck fool. Just those thoughts and memories of everything Merle did when Daryl liked someone was enough to make him make the worst mistake ever. He wouldn't allow himself to feel that weak. He pulled the blankets over her, got out of bed and pulled on his clothes, except his shirt and walked out of the room._

_He wasn't expecting anyone to be up so it surprised him when after he shut the door silently he saw Dale._

_"Sneaking out?" Dale asked him. "You know that is going to nearly kill her. She's a nice girl, you shouldn't hurt her."_

_"Shut up old man." Daryl said angrily. "She's beyond drunk, she won't remember in the morning." And he walked away down the hall. What he didn't expect was for it to hurt him with each step he took away from him._

_End Flashback_

"Well?" Rose asked him.

"What?" Daryl said coming out of his thoughts.

"I asked why you left me in the middle of the night."

"Why don't we start this conversation with you telling me what you have in your back pocket?"

"Nothing you need to worry about right now."

"Then you don't need to worry about why I left right now."

Rose walked away and went to help Dale and T-Dog get ready to leave. They made it to the farm sometime in the dark evening. T-Dog was shivering when they got out of the car, even with the blanked around him.

"Don't worry," Rose said to him, helping him walk to the porch. "We'll get you taken care of properly."

"So, do we ring the doorbell?" Glenn asked. "I mean, it looks like people live here.

"We're past this kind of stuff, aren't we?" T-Dog said as he made his way up the stairs. The other two followed him. "Having to be considerate."

"Did you close the gate up when you came in?" A voice asked, startling them. They turned to see the same brunette that rode up on the horse and took Lori sitting in a rocking chair on the porch.

"Uh, Hi," Glenn stuttered. "Yes we closed it. Did the latch and everything." The woman didn't say anything.

"Hello, nice to see you again." Rose said, trying to make things less awkward.

"We met before, briefly." Glenn said awkwardly. There goes that plan.

"We came to help." T-Dog cut in. "There anything we can do?"

The woman finally stood up and approached them but stopped when she saw the wound on T-Dog's arm, obviously thinking it was a bite.

"It's not a bite." He reassured her. "I cut myself pretty bad though."

"We'll have it looked at. I'll tell them you're here." She said.

"We have some painkillers and antibiotics." Glenn said rummaging around in the pack he had.

"We already gave him some, but if Carl needs any we have some." Rose said.

"Come on inside, I'll make you something to eat." The woman said. They quietly followed her into the house.

Rose skipped the offer for food and immediately went looking for Lori and Rick. She found them up stairs in a bedroom with Carl asleep on a bed. As soon as the others noticed her arrival Rick and Lori jumped up to hug her.

"Oh thank God you're here." Lori said.

"He needs surgery to get the rest of the bullets out." Rick said.

"Well for once in this apocalyptic world my talents will come in handy." Rose said.

"This is one of ours, she's a surgeon." Rick said turning to an elderly man who looked to be taking Carl's blood pressure.

"If you don't mind, I think we would be more comfortable with her doing the procedure." Lori said. "She's the one that operated on Rick when he was shot."

"I'm not sure can do it without the supplies I had at the hospital. There really are less guarantees here." Rose said to Lori.

"My son-in-law, Otis, and one of yours went to retrieve the best supplies they can find." The elderly man said. "They should have most of what you need. I could do the surgery but it probably would be better with a trained surgeon behind the knife." He explained the list of things that the men went to retrieve.

They sat down next to Carl's bed in silence for a while.

"Hey," Glenn said as him and T-Dog entered the room.

"Hey," Rick responded.

"We're here ok." Glenn said.

"Whatever you need." T-Dog added. The two men left the room quietly and the others remained silent.

"May I take a look?" Rose asked the man. He nodded and she pulled back the blanket to look at the wound. "It looks like you know what you're doing." She commented.

"I'm a veterinarian."

She turned to Lori and Rick. "If they don't get back soon, we're going to have to make a decision." She said professional like. It was like just this situation was making her go back to when she was in the hospital. She suddenly went from being a scared woman to being a surgeon. She was back in her comfort zone. She just wished it wasn't Carl.

"And that is?" Rick asked.

"Whether to operate on him without the respirator."

"Hershel said that wouldn't work." Lori said.

Rose never liked this part of the job, having the parents choose between a surgery with large chance of survival or one with a small chance. "It's extremely unlikely, but we can't wait much longer."

Lori just stood up without saying a word and walked out of the room. Rick unsteadily got up and followed her. Rose noticed the bandage on Rick's arm and realized that he must have given some blood transfusions.

"How many times has Rick given blood?" She asked Hershel.

"Twice." He responded.

"Has he eaten?"

"Not much."

Rose sighed. She knew that being upset would decrease the appetite but if he needed to give more blood he had to replenish his strength or he would become a patient.

Lori and Rick wound up sitting outside the bedroom while Rose and Hershel remained by Carl's side. Rose was in the middle of quietly pointing to all of Carl's bones and telling him what they were called. It was helping her cope by giving him a lesson that he looked forward to everyday. Even coma patients can still hear sometimes, so she was hoping that maybe he could hear her.

Then he slowly woke and started coughing. Lori and Rick rushed in and Rose stepped out of their way to the other side of the bed by Hershel.

"Where are we?" Carl finally managed to ask.

"That's Hershel." Rick explained. "We're in his house. And look, Rose is here too. You had an accident."

"It hurts a lot." Carl said. "You should have seen it."

"Seen what?" Lori asked.

"The deer, it was so pretty mom. It was so close. I've never been," he stopped talking.

Oh no, Rose thought. They shouldn't have to see this. She knew exactly what was happening.

"Carl?" Rick said.

"What is happening?" Lori asked.

Just then Carl started to seize. Lori and Rick went to try to stop it.

"No, don't." Rose told them and pushed them away. "It's a seizure." She pulled the pillow out from under him. "If you hold him down you could hurt him."

"You can't stop it?" Lori asked angrily. Rose ignored her.

"He has to go through it." Hershel explained.

Rick held Lori as she started sobbing while she watched her son go through this terrible incident. And just as suddenly as it began, it stopped. As soon as he stopped moving, Rose went forward and started checking him out.

"His brain isn't getting enough blood." She said as she checked his eyes. "His pressure is bottoming. He needs another transfusion."

"Ok, I'm ready." Rick said. Rose looked at him thinking about it.

Hershel cut in. "If we take any more out of you, your body could shut down and you could go into a coma."

"Again," Rose added. "Or cardiac arrest."

"You're wasting time." Rick said. He sat down and held out his arm.

Rose looked at Hershel and he just grabbed the transfusion set and walked over to Rick. Rose finally made her way next to them to help.

"Fine, but you have to promise me that after this one, you will go eat a shit load of food." She said to Rick.

After Rose was done with the transfusion she went down stairs to see how T-Dog was doing.

"You got here just in time," one of the women said. She was looking at the wound. "This couldn't go untreated for much longer."

"We didn't really have the right supplies out there." Rose explained while stepping forward to take over. Maggie was still holding the arm down while the other woman looked at the pill bottles.

"Merle Dixon, is that your friend with the antibiotics?" she asked.

"No, ma'am," Glenn said. "Merle's no longer with us. Daryl gave us those, his brother."

"Not sure I'd call him a friend." T-Dog said flinching a little as Rose started stitching up the wound.

"He is today," the woman said. "This doxycycline might have just saved your life. Do you know what he was taking it for?"

"The clap" Glenn said. Everyone looked at him.

"Venereal disease," Rose said. "That's what Daryl said."

"I'd say Merle Dixon's clap was the best thing to ever happen to you." She said to T-Dog.

"I'm really trying not to think about that." T-Dog said struggling.

Glenn ended up having to walk out of the room. He couldn't stand there and watch anymore.

When Rose finished with T-Dog she quietly made her way upstairs to check on the Grimes family. She stopped outside the door when she heard Rick talking to Lori. He was telling her about when it happened. There had been a deer that Carl saw. How it just stared at Carl and Carl stared at it.

"That's what he was talking about when he woke up, not about getting shot, or what happened at the church. He talked about something beautiful, something living. There's still a life for us, a place, maybe like this. It isn't all death out there. It can't be. We just have to be strong enough after everything we've seen and believe that. Why is it better for Carl to live even in this world? He talked about the deer, Lori. He talked about the deer."

Rose could hear Lori quietly crying and decided that maybe now was not the time to interrupt them. They needed some time alone with their son right now.

After a while Hershel decided they needed to check on Carl. They walked in and he started taking the blood pressure again.

"He's still losing blood, faster than we can replace it." He said.

"And with the swelling in his abdomen," Rose added. "We can't wait any longer or he's just going to slip away." Rick stood and went to Lori. "Now I need to know right now if you want me to do this. Because I think Carl is out of time. I will do everything I can to make sure he lives, but you need to know that the chances of survival are slim either way."

"You have to make a choice." Hershel urged. Not exactly the best tactic.

"A choice?" Lori argued.

"A choice," Rick cut in and faced her. "You have to tell me what it is."

She looked at him for a few seconds. "We do it." She finally said. They hugged each other and Rose and Hershel started getting ready.


	14. Chapter 14

They set Carl up on a metal rolling table with a light and all the sterile equipment they needed.

"Rick, Lori," Rose said before she started. "You may want to step out." Just before she could make an incision they heard a truck pulling up outside.

They looked out the window to see that it was Shane pulling up. They all rushed outside except Rose and Patricia. They stayed with Carl to keep an eye on him.

Hershel soon came back in the room with two bags. Rose took them and looked inside. It had everything they needed to give Carl a better chance.

"Ok, you ready?" Rose asked turning to Hershel. He just nodded. "Ok, here we go."

They had Patricia manning the respirator to keep his breathing even. Rose pulled the gauze off and started cleaning the wound. They gave him what little bit of anesthetic they had in an IV and waited just a little bit for it to kick in. When Rose was sure it was safe, she started retracting the bullet fragments one by one. Hershel was handing her the tools she needed and wiping up the blood as it was coming out. As soon as the bullets were out, Rose stitched him up and put a dressing over it.

They checked his blood pressure, his eye dilation and color. When she was sure he was doing ok, the Rose and Hershel went out to talk to the others while Patricia stayed with Carl.

Everyone stood up as they came out of the house. "He seems to be stabilized." Rose said. The others sighed in relief. Rick walked up the steps and hugged Rose and Hershel.

"I don't have words." Lori said through her tears. She looked at Rose and hugged her. "You saved both of my boys."

"Just doing my job," Rose said.

"And we owe you for it." Rick said.

"How do I tell Patricia about Otis?" Hershel asked.

"You go to Carl," Rick said to Lori. "I'll go with Hershel."

Rose took Lori's hand and led her up to Carl's room. Rose sat on the opposite side of the bed as Lori, giving her space to be with her son. Shane entered the room not long after.

"I'll be just in the hall," she said and walked out. She stayed right by the door in case they needed her for Carl though.

"Stay," Lori said. That was all that was said and Shane walked out of the room. He just nodded at Rose and walked away.

Rose walked back into the room and sat back down in her seat.

Morning came and everyone went outside to start building a rock pile for Otis. Hershel, Lori, and Rick were up in the room keeping an eye on Carl. The ones outside had gotten some progress on the pile when Rose whipped around towards the driveway. She had heard the sound of a motorcycle. She stayed standing there watching him drive up with the RV behind him. She smiled in relief.

Everyone met the new arrivals at the porch. Rose had to keep herself from rushing to Daryl. She was so glad that he was still alive, but they were still not on the best terms right now.

"How is he?" Dale asked.

"He'll pull through." Lori said. "Thanks to Hershel and his people, and especially Rose for doing the surgery."

Daryl glanced at Rose at the mention of her name.

"And Shane," Rick added. "We'd have lost Carl if not for him." Everyone gathered around to hug Lori and Rick while Rose just backed away from the group. She went and sat on the ground a little ways away from the group.

She was picking at the grass when Daryl sat next to her.

"You did the surgery on Carl?" He asked.

"It kind of makes sense, don't you think?" She said. "A surgeon doing surgery."

"Looks like you finally made your place in the group."

"Can I ask you a favor?" She said turning to face him. He just looked at her. "Can you teach me how to use a gun? And any other weapon I might have to use? I'm so tired of not being able to protect myself. What if I get separated and I'm by myself? I don't even know how I'm still alive. I need to know how to survive. And who better to teach me than you?"

"Shane's the gun expert."

"I don't really trust Shane as far as I can throw him."

"I'll teach you in exchange for an answer."

"To what question?"

"What is in your back pocket?"

She was glad she put it back in her duffel before the surgery. "Deal, right now, there is nothing in my back pocket." She got up and started walking away, then turned around. "When do we start?" He ignored her and got up and walked away as well.

They all eventually made it to the rock mound for Otis and started his memorial. Rose barely paid much attention while Hershel spoke, but her ears were wide open when Shane stepped forward.

"We were about done." He started. "Almost out of ammo, we were down to pistols by then. I was limping, it was bad, ankle all swollen up. 'We gotta save the boy' see that's what he said. He gave me his backpack and shoved me ahead. 'Run' he said, 'I'll take the rear, I'll cover for you.' And when I looked back," he paused and limped toward the stone pile. "If not for Otis," He continued. "I'd have never made it out alive. And that goes for Carl too. It was Otis, he saved us both. If any death ever had meaning, it was his." He finished turning to Patricia and then set a stone on top of the pile.

After the memorial was over, most of the group gathered around the hood of a car to organize the search party for Sophia.

"How long has this girl been lost?" Hershel asked.

"This'll be day three." Rick said.

"County survey map," Maggie said as she came forward and unrolled a map on the hood. "Shows terrain and elevations."

"This is perfect," Rick said. "We can finally get this thing organized. We'll grid the whole area and start searching in teams."

"Not you," Hershel cut in.

"Not today." Rose added. "You gave three units of blood."

"You wouldn't be hiking five minutes in this heat before passing out." Hershel finished.

"And your ankle," Rose said to Shane, "Push it and you'll be laid up for a month. No good to anybody."

"Guess it's just me" Daryl said. "I'll start by heading back to the creek and start there."

"I can still be useful." Shane said. "I'll drive up the interstate and see if Sophia wandered back."

"Tomorrow then," Rick said. "We'll start doing this right."

"I want to help today," Rose said. "If she is hurt I can do immediate care until we can get her here, and it'll add more eyes and ears to the search."

"Ok, but you stay close to Daryl." Rick said sternly. She just nodded.

"That means we can't have our people out there with just knives." Shane said. "They need the gun training we've been promising them."

"I'd prefer you not carrying guns on my property." Hershel said. "We've managed so far without turning this into an armed camp."

"With all due respect," Shane started to argue. "You get a crowd of those things wandering in here," He got cut off by Shane.

"Look, we're guests here. This is your property, and we will respect that." Rick said turning to Shane. He pulled out his revolver and laid it on the hood. Shane reluctantly followed suit. "First things first," Rick continued. "Set camp, find Sophia."

"I hate to be the one to ask, but somebody's got to." Shane said. "What if we find her and she's bit? I think we should all be clear on how to handle that."

"You do what has to be done." Rick answered.

"And her mother?" Maggie asked. "What do you tell her?"

"The truth," Andrea said simply.

"I'll gather and secure all the weapons," Shane offered. "Make sure no one's carrying until we're at a practice range off site. I do request one rifle man on lookout. Dale's got experience."

Hershel hesitated.

"Our people would feel safer," Rick added. "Less inclined to carry a gun," He eventually just silently nodded.

Daryl started walking off and Rose hurried to follow after him. They walked a little while in silence before Rose couldn't handle it anymore.

"Do you really think we're gonna find her?" Rose asked him.

"You got that look on your face." He said. "Same as everyone else. What the hell's wrong you people? We just started looking."

"Well, do you?"

"It ain't the mountains of Tibet, it's Georgia. She could be holed up in a farmhouse somewhere. People get lost and they survive, it happens all the time."

"She's only twelve."

"Hell, I was younger than her and I got lost. Nine days in the woods, eating berries, and wiping my ass with poison oak."

"They found you?"

"My old man was off on a bender with some waitress. Merle was doing another stint in juvie. Didn't even know I was gone. I made my way back though. Went straight into the kitchen and made myself a sandwich. No worse for wear. Except my ass itched something awful."

Rose laughed at that. "I'm sorry, that's a terrible story." He looked at her and laughed a little as well. It felt good to make her smile.

"Only difference is, Sophia's got people looking for her. I call that an advantage."

"It's amazing how optimistic you are. By the way, when are we gonna start teaching me how to use a gun?"

Daryl stopped. "Alright," he said and pulled out his little pistol. "Here, show me how to hold it."

She cautiously took it from him and held it like she had seen others do.

"Ok, that's ok, but come here." He got behind her and put his arms around and held her hands around hers to show her how to hold it properly. He let go and looked down. While she was concentrated on the gun he quickly reached down and pulled out the box that was once again in her pocket.

Dammit, she cursed herself. She meant to use that early this morning.

"So, you mind telling me why you're carrying this around?" Daryl asked angrily.

"Um, no reason," Rose mumbled.

"Bullshit. Pee on it now."

"No, there's nothing to worry about, I don't need a test to tell me what I already know, I'm not pregnant."

"Then prove it."

She turned to just walk away when he stopped her and pushed her against a tree. She started to tear up. She hadn't felt like this since her last relationship many years ago.

_Flashback_

_He shoved her against the wall, pinning her so she couldn't m_ove. _He was hurting her._

_"You waited four months?" He shouted at her. "You can't get an abortion after that long. You should know that, you're going through med school! Did you think you could hide this from me the whole time? How could you do this?"_

_"It takes two to tango, James." She cried. "I didn't do it on purpose, it just happened"_

_"You should have been more careful! You know how I feel about kids."_

_"I just thought that you might be happy, you might have changed your mind. It made me happy."_

_"No, I want you to pack your things and be out of here in an hour." He started pulling her to the door out of the bedroom and towards the stairs going down._

_"You can't do that to me! I have nowhere to go."_

_"Well you're good at making your own decisions apparently so figure it out." He said and pushed her just a little too hard and she fell down the stairs. She woke up in the hospital with all her belongings and was told she had lost the baby from the fall and James was nowhere to be seen._

_End Flashback_

Rose was now on the ground silently sobbing and Daryl was standing just a few feet away not knowing what just happened.

She stood up and wiped her eyes and calmed herself down. "I'm sorry." She said. "Give me the damn stick." She held her hand out and Daryl silently handed it to her. She took it and started walking behind a tree.

"Where are you going?" He asked her.

"To pee behind a tree. Ever heard of privacy?"

"It's nothing I haven't seen before."

"Well it's not yours to see now, you gave up that right when you left me." She went behind the tree and did her business. She came back out with the stick behind her back. "Now, I want you to know that if this says positive then I don't expect you to step up as a fatherly role if you don't want to. I'm not going to try to force someone into that again."

"What do you mean again?"

"Nothing. And if this says negative, then we can just go back to how it was before."

"And how was it before?"

"You tell me." She said and pulled the stick out to see. She sighed in relief at that single pink line. Negative. Everything was fine. Although she could not quite decipher the look on Daryl's face.

He cleared his face and looked at her. "Then what was with all the vomiting and stuff?"

"It could have been Pseudocyesis."

"Don't you doctors ever speak English?"

"It's a false pregnancy." She explained. "It's when the person is either really wanting to be pregnant, is really stressed, or is really, really afraid of being pregnant. Like me, I started feeling sick from just living like this and immediately I was afraid of being pregnant. It's where your body starts to think it's pregnant and starts releasing all the symptoms. It's sort of a mental disorder. In some cases the problem can go on for 9 months and your stomach will grow as well. The women have to be shown proof that they are not pregnant to get over it. Sometimes it can be an ultra sound, sometimes it has to go all the way to a false delivery. But for me since I'm a doctor all I needed was a pregnancy test. I should be fine now."

"Right," He said, still not fully understanding it.

"Now you're not forced into anything and you can go back to hating me. Let's keep looking." She said and started walking off.

"I don't hate you." He mumbled when she was out of ear shot and followed after her.

They walked in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. They eventually came to an old white house. Daryl readied his crossbow and Rose stayed behind him and they cautiously approached the house.

Daryl kicked open the front doors and they entered. He inspected a few of the rooms on the ground floor when they came to what was the kitchen. When Daryl made sure the room was clear he looked around. He looked in the garbage and saw a freshly opened can of sardines. He looked at Rose and then looked at the pantry.

He raised his crossbow and slowly walked to it. He opened it up but there was no Sophia. But they did find some blankets and a pillow on the floor or it.

"It had to have been her, right?" Rose asked Daryl. "I mean, and adult really couldn't have fit in there very well."

"Maybe." He replied.

They walked out the back and Daryl started calling for Sophia. He went to the edge of the house and Rose walked straight. Something small and white had caught her eye. Daryl noticed and walked up to her.

She looked up as he got closer. "It's a," she started.

"Cherokee Rose," He finished.

She smiled. "They're my favorite flowers."

"Huh, I can see that, you being Cherokee Indian and named Rose."

"I was named after the flower actually. My parents thought it would be cute. Do you know the story behind the flower?"

"Yeah," He picked one and they headed back to camp.

When they arrived Daryl went straight to the RV where Carol was. Rose quietly followed him and stood outside listening.

"I cleaned up," Carol said. "I wanted it to be nice for her."

"For a second I thought I was in the wrong place." Daryl said.

"A flower?"

"It's a Cherokee Rose." He explained. "The story is that when American soldiers were moving Indians off their land, on the trail of tears, the Cherokee mothers were grieving and crying so much 'cause they were losing their little ones as well, from exposure and disease, and starvation. A lot of them just disappeared. So the elders said a prayer, asked for a sign to uplift the mother's spirits, give them strength, and hope. The next day, this rose started to grow right where the mother's tears fell. I'm not fool enough to think there's any flowers blooming for my brother. But I believe this one bloomed for your little girl."

Rose was still standing there when Daryl came walking out. He stopped when he saw her, but before he could speak she beat him to it.

"I didn't know your brother very well, just from what I saw in Atlanta, on the rooftop. It wasn't a very good first impression, especially from the things he said to me. There may not be any flowers blooming for him, but I think, this Cherokee Rose," she said pointing to herself. "Grew for you." She finished. She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek and walked away back to the house to check on Carl.

When she walked into the room she saw Rick there sitting in a chair and Carl was still asleep. She smiled at Rick and sat on the opposite side of the bed. She pulled back the blanket to check on the wound. That was when he started to stir.

"Hey dad," He said as he looked over at Rick.

Rick smiled. "Hey," he said back. "Carl," he continued. "I told you something earlier today, about Sophia,"

"I know," Carl interrupted. "Mom told me."

"Here I was getting to confess. I didn't mean to lie, I just didn't want to worry you. It's a stupid excuse, but it's all I got."

"It's ok. Do you think we'll find her?"

"I know we will. Well, I don't know. But I truly believe it."

"You look tired."

"I am tired."

"Hey, I'm like you now. We've both been shot." Rose chuckled at that comment as did Rick. "And Rose fixed us both. Isn't that weird?"

"Yeah, I think your mother would rather hear we've got the same eyes. So let's keep that between us. Since you're in the club now, you get to wear the hat. Didn't you know?" Rick picked up his Sheriff hat and placed it on Carl's head making Carl grin something awful. Rose just smiled at the two.

"Won't you miss it?" Carl asked.

"Maybe you'll let me borrow it from time to time."

"We can share it."

Rose walked out and turned back to see Rick staring at his badge.


	15. Chapter 15

The next morning Rose was outside helping Carol with the laundry. Lori was sleeping in, so Rose decided Carol shouldn't do it by herself. A little while later Lori came walking out of the tent.

"I can't believe I slept in." She said as she came walking up to the clothes line.

"You must have needed it." Caro said. "You feeling alright?"

"Next time wake me, especially on laundry day.

"Oh, we can manage." Rose said.

"I had an idea I wanted to run by you." Carol said to Lori. "I've been thinking about that big kitchen they have. I wouldn't mind cooking in a real kitchen again. Maybe if we all pitch in we could make Hershel and his family a dinner."

"After all they've done for us?" Lori said. "Seems like the least we could do."

"Would you mind extending the invitation? It would feel right coming from you.

"How so?"

"You're Rick's wife, kind of makes you our official first lady."

"Alright team let's go." Rick said as he came walking up the group of people that were going out on the search. "We got a lot of ground to cover. Everyone's getting new search grids today. If she made it as far as the farm house Daryl and Rose found, she might have gone further east than we've been so far."

Rose tuned them out as she continued helping Carol and Lori with the laundry and talked to them for a bit. She was slowly letting herself become part of the group. She didn't really have a choice after she removed the bullet from Carl. Lori and Rick wouldn't let her slip away into herself that easily. She did notice a young man from Hershel's family approach Rick but she paid no attention to it.

She took a little break and headed over to the search party and stood next to Daryl. He looked at her for a moment and turned back to Rick.

"Nothing about that farm house they found screams Sophia to me." Shane said. "Anyone could have been holed up in there."

"Anyone includes her right?" Andrea shot back.

"Why do you have to be so negative all the time?" Rose asked.

"I'm being realistic." Shane said.

"No, I'm a realist, you're being negative."

"Whoever it was couldn't have been more than yay-high." Daryl said as he put his hand out to Sophia's height.

"It's a good lead." Rick said. "Maybe we can pick up her trail again."

"No maybe about it." Daryl said. "I'm gonna borrow a horse." He pointed to an area on the map. "Head up this ridge here. Take a birds-eye view of the whole grid. If she's up there I'll spot her."

"Good idea." T-Dog said. "Maybe you'll see your Chupacabra up there too."

"Chupacabra?" Rose asked looking at Daryl.

"You never heard this?" Dale asked. "First night in camp, Daryl tells us that the whole thing reminds him of a time when he went squirrel hunting and he saw a Chupacabra."

Rose looked at Daryl with a huge smile on her face. It was kind of funny. The young man that was there chuckled out loud.

"What are you braying at, jackass?" Daryl said to him.

"So you believe in a blood-sucking dog?" he asked Daryl.

"Do you believe dead people walking around?" Daryl had a good point there.

The man reached for a gun and Rick stopped him.

"You ever fire one before?" Rick asked him.

"Well if I'm going out I want one." He said.

"Yeah, and people in Hell want slurpees." Daryl said as he slung his crossbow on his shoulder and walked away. Rose followed after him.

"Hey, you gonna be ok out there by yourself?" She asked him. He gave her a look. "Right, stupid question. I just worry sometimes."

"Worry about what?" He asked her.

"That you won't make it back." She said quietly.

He stopped and faced her. "I will make it back."

"Don't make promises you can't keep. I know you don't give two shits about me, but I don't know if I could get over it if you never came back."

He too her face in his hand and made her look at him. "Don't go jumping to conclusions." He said and turned and walked to where the horses were tied up.

Rose turned and went up to the porch where she saw Maggie walking away from Glenn

"Nice Guitar." She said as she approached him. "You know how to play?"

"No. Dale found it on the highway." He said.

She reached out and he handed it to her. She sat down and started strumming on it. Then she slowly changed the tune and started playing 'Georgia Peaches' by Lauren Alaina. She didn't sing the words, just played the tune.

"You can play?" He asked her.

"It was the one  
good thing I ever learned from my dad." She said and put the guitar down.

"You're good."

"Thanks."

Rose walked away and went to see Carol and discuss the dinner. She looked over to see Glenn and Lori talking. It looked serious. Then Lori looked down the driveway and Rose followed her gaze and saw Rick and Shane coming back.

Rose walked up to him just as Lori did. Things didn't look good between Rick and Shane.

"Is everything alright?" Lori asked.

"I just had a long talk with Shane." Rick answered. "He wants to call off the search."

"What do you think?"

"What if it was Carl? Would you want us to keep looking?"

"If it was Carl, yes I would want to know one way or another."

Rose could tell she didn't need to be here for this, Daryl hadn't come back with them so she left and went back to Carol.

Lori, Carol and Rose eventually made it to the kitchen where they started preparing for dinner.

"I never thought I'd be so glad to see a potato." Lori said.

"I'm just glad we're not roasting squirrels over a fire in the woods." Carol added.

"Thank you Patricia so much for letting us into your house." Rose said.

Rose noticed Maggie and Hershel talking in the next room. She only got to hear the very end of the conversation.

"Don't get close to them." Hershel said. "They're not going to be around forever."

So this wasn't a permanent location. She kind of knew that from the beginning but was hoping it would last for a while. She glanced out the window and noticed Andrea was on top of the RV assuming Dale's lookout spot. Rose couldn't see that ending well.

She was still watching outside when Andrea stood up real fast and started shouting to the others. Rose rushed outside to see what was going on. She looked out into the field and saw what Andrea was calling a walker.

"Just the one?" Rick asked.

Andrea looked through the binoculars and confirmed. "I bet I can nail it from here." She said while grabbing the gun.

"No, Andrea, put the gun down."

All the men started grabbing their blunt instruments and knives.

"You'd best let us handle this." Shane said.

They started walking towards the walker and Rose slowly followed them. She noticed Rick hold up his revolver.

"Is that Daryl?" she heard one of them say. At that she started running towards them. He couldn't be a walker. He promised.

Once she got close enough she heard him speak. "That's the third time you've pointed that thing at my head." He said to Rick. "You gonna pull the trigger or what?"

Oh thank God. Rose thought he was alright. She didn't slow down though she kept running until she was right in next to the group. Once she got a close up of him she knew he needed medical attention. There was blood coming from his stomach and he was limping.

That's when a shot rang out and Daryl went down. Rose rushed to his side and held up his head. She looked back at camp and saw Andrea on top of the RV with the gun in her hands.

They helped Daryl up and helped him walk to the farm house. He lost consciousness along the way and they had to carry him. Andrea approached as they started walking.

"Oh my God." She said. "Is he dead?"

"Next time you wanna get trigger happy," Rose spat out. "You better make damn sure that the person is actually dead!"

"He's unconscious. You just grazed him." Rick said.

"But look at him." Glenn said. "What the hell happened? He's wearing ears."

"Let's keep that to ourselves." Rick said as he pulled the ear necklace off and put it in his pocket.

"Guys," T-Dog said making everyone turn around. He had picked up doll that must have fallen off of Daryl. "Isn't this Sophia's?"

They managed to get Daryl into a bed and Rose was tending to his wounds. She had to admit, it was hard to concentrate with him being shirtless.

Rick had a map on the bed and Daryl was describing where he found the doll. "I found it on a creek bed right there." He said pointing. "She must have dropped it crossing right there. Cuts the grid almost in half."

"How's he looking?" Rick asked Rose.

"I had no idea we'd be going through the antibiotics so quickly." Hershel said.

"I am sorry about that." Rose said.

"Any idea what happened to my horse?" Hershel asked Daryl.

"Yeah, the one that almost killed me? If it's smart it left the country." Daryl said. Rose pushed a little too hard on his wound to shut him up. "What was that for?" He asked her.

"Your mouth." She said.

"We call that one Nelly, as in Nervous Nelly." Hershel explained. "I could have told you she'd throw you if you'd have bothered to ask. It's a wonder you people have survived this long." He said turning to Rick.

Everyone left except for Rose. She was still tending to Daryl's wounds.

"You were supposed to be more careful." She said to him.

"What do you care anyway?" He retorted.

She looked at him appalled. "I do care, Daryl. You just refuse to see it."

"Well you can go care somewhere else."

She slapped him. "You're right." She said quietly. "I don't need to go through this again. Why the hell do I always fall for your type." She threw down the stuff she was using and stood up. "I spent my whole life since I was little girl dealing with all kinds of abuse, and I am not going to go through that again. You can clean yourself up." She walked out the door.

Dinner time came and for a while everyone ate in silence. Things were hard between everyone right now.

"Hey, I got that guitar." Glenn said to Rose.

"What guitar?" Maggie asked.

"Dale found a cool one."

"Otis could play." Patricia said.

Rose saw this wasn't going as Glenn had hoped. "Hand it over, Glenn." She said.

"Why don't you play that one you did earlier. It sounded upbeat. But this time, can you sing it?"

"I don't know how my singing voice is, but I'll try. Just for you." She smiled at him and began to strum.

Way beyond the city lights  
Lies a cowboys paradise  
Honeysuckle on the vine  
Growing up on Southern time

Love to dance and we love to flirt  
Ain't afraid of a little dirt  
We ain't late for Sunday church  
Mama raised us not to curse

Our shorts' a little shorter 'cause the sun's a little hotter  
Sipping lemonade, while we're playin' in the water

Whoa, whoa, whoa, ain't nothing sweeter than us Georgia Peaches  
Whoa, whoa, whoa, there's a reason why the boys pick the Georgia Peaches

She only played the first part because she felt a little awkward. She lowered the guitar to the floor and people applauded quietly. It seemed to life everyone's spirits. There was actually some conversation through the rest of the meal.

After Rose was done eating she saw Carol take a plate up to Daryl. Rose knew he was not in a good mood so she followed quietly to make sure he wasn't an ass to her. She stood outside the door and listened.

"How are you felling?" Carol asked him.

"As good as I look." He replied.

"I brought you some dinner, you must be starving." She leaned down and gave him a kiss on his head.

"Watch out, I got stitches."

"You should know something. You did more for my little girl than her daddy ever did her whole life."

"I didn't do anything Rick or Shane wouldn't have done."

"I know. You're every bit as good as them. Every bit." She walked out of the room and Rose walked in.

"I didn't think you would be coming back up here." Daryl said as he noticed her.

"Yeah, well someone has to check on your stitches." She said. "What happened out there?" She had to know. "You went out all fine and somewhat nice and now you come back all rude and angry."

"Nothing, just remembered who I was."

"And who is that?"

"Nobody."

"Well, if you would pay attention, you would know that you're not a nobody to everyone." And she walked out.


	16. Chapter 16

The next morning Daryl was moved out to the tents and Carl was up and walking around. Rose watched as Andrea walked into Daryl's tent. She wanted to punch her in the face.

"Here are some peaches." She heard Glenn say as he walked up to her.

"Thanks," she said taking one.

"What's going on with you and Daryl?"

"I'll tell you that when you tell me what's going on with you and Maggie."

He got a guilty look on his face. "Nothing, nothing's going on between us."

"Well, nothing is going on between me and Daryl." She replied taking a bite. Glenn walked away taking peaches to the others.

A little while later, Rose noticed Carl getting in trouble over something. She made her way over to him and sat next to him.

"What's up deputy?" She asked tapping his hat.

"I took a gun and now mom's all mad and won't let me learn how to shoot." Carl told her.

"Well, can you blame her? You did just get shot."

"Yeah, but I need to learn how to use one, how to protect myself. You need to learn too. We could learn together."

Rose smiled at him. "Let's see what your parents say and if they say no, I'll see what I can do."

"He is not mature enough to have a gun." They both heard Lori say.

Carl stood up and went up to her. "I'm not gonna play with it mom, it's not a toy. I'm sorry I disappointed you. But I want to look for Sophia, I want to defend our camp. I can't do that without a gun."

Rose walked over and knelt next to Carl and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Shane's the best instructor I know." Rick said. "I've seen him teach kids younger than Carl."

Lori finally gave in and walked up to Carl. "You will take this seriously, and you will behave responsibly. And if I hear from anyone in this camp that you're not living up to our expectations,"

"He won't let you down," Rick cut in.

They started getting ready to go and Rose was walking by Daryl's tent when he called to her.

"Hey, come here." He said.

She told Rick to hold up for one minute and walked into the tent. "What?" She asked.

"Are you going out shooting with them?"

"Yeah,"

"I thought you wanted me to teach you."

"Yeah, well now I don't think you and I should be around each other. We're like two positive sides of a magnet being forced together. Something keeps pushing us towards each other but when we get close we both bounce away." She started to walk out.

"You know I would never abuse you."

She paused but did not turn around. "There is more than just physical abuse, Daryl. Mental, emotional, you name it, I've been through it. And I can't go through it again. It's better in the long run if we just don't do this." She caught up to Rick and Carl and they headed out to the range.

Rose stood back and watched everyone shooting. She really did want to learn, but something was stopping her, a memory.

Rick noticed her and walked over. "You gonna come learn?" He pulled her up and put a gun in her hand.

She pointed it at the target and froze. She just stood there doing nothing.

"The point of target practice is to shoot at the target." Rick said.

"I can't. I can't pull the trigger." She told him.

"Why not?"

"No one's pointing a gun at my head."

He gave her an odd look. "What are you talking about?"

She lowered the gun and turned to him. "When I was young, my father taught me a few lessons. None of them were really good. One was that you had to take full responsibility for what you had. I had a dog. My dog got sick and we couldn't afford to take him to the vet. So my dad tried to teach me to take responsibility. He put a gun in my hand and told me to end my dogs suffering. I had the gun pointed at my dog but I had that dog for years, and I just couldn't pull the trigger. So he pulls out his gun and I think that he's gonna put my dog down. Instead he points the gun at my head and says if I don't shoot the dog then he was going to shoot me and then the dog."

"That's fucked up."

"Yeah, you're telling me."

"Maybe you and I should have some private practices. Might be better."

Shane must have heard her story because he came walking up and pointed the gun at her head. "Shoot the target." He said.

"Shane, what the hell?" Rick asked.

Without hesitating Rose held up her gun and shot the target perfectly. If it were Rick that had the gun at her head she wouldn't have shot. With Rick she knew he wouldn't shoot her, but she fully believed that Shane would.

"She can shoot." Shane said. "If her life is in danger, she can shoot." And he walked away.

Tears were rolling down Rose's cheeks. "Can I shoot him?" She asked.

Rick and Lori just put their arms around her and walked her to the car. When they got back to camp Rose started walking to her tent.

"How'd it go?" She heard Daryl ask as she passed his tent. She ignored him and kept walking.

"It's best if you don't talk to her about it." She heard Rick say behind her.

She made it to her tent and just lay down in her sleeping bag. She didn't cry she just lay facing the wall of the tent.

She didn't know how long she stayed like that but it must have been a while. She heard Glenn and Maggie come back from the pharmacy run, and noticed the sun getting lower. But she still didn't get up. All of her repressed memories from her life came crawling back when Shane put that gun to her head. She didn't want to live her life in fear anymore but she didn't know how to get over it.

She heard someone enter her tent but ignored them until they lay down next to her. She turned her head and saw Daryl.

"Go away. I told you we shouldn't do this." She said and turned her head back to the tent wall.

He responded by putting his arms around her. "Just because we shouldn't doesn't mean we can't."

"Last time we were in this position, I went to sleep and woke up with you gone."

"That won't happen this time."

"What about the next time? Or the time after that?"

"Look, I'm not used to this kind of stuff, and neither are you. So we'll have to take it step by step. But if we're both willing to work on it then it could work. I'm not saying it will be perfect, but I am saying that out of all the Cherokee Rose's that have grown, I'm gonna pick you."

She turned around in his arms and laid her head on his chest.

"So, what happened at gun practice?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"You'll want to go shoot Shane."

"Well now I want to shoot him anyway."

"He just brought back old memories." She told him what he did and the memory that came back. And of course she had to physically keep him from getting up and beating the crap out of Shane.

They fell asleep together in her tent, and sure enough, when she woke up, he was still there, watching her sleep.

"You know that's creepy right?" She said with a smile.

"Creepy, but still here." He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss.


	17. Chapter 17

They walked out of the tent to the smell of Carol making breakfast. Rose walked over to her and offered her help while Daryl got his crossbow and sat next to the fire. Everyone was sitting around the fire doing their own thing and not really talking. Andrea was sharpening a knife, Shane was standing and eating, Glenn was sitting by a tree and looking towards the farm house at Maggie, and Lori and Rick were having a quiet conversation.

After a few minutes, Glenn stood up and walked to stand in front of the group.

"Um, guys," Glenn started hesitantly. Everyone continued what they were doing but were listening. "So," it looked like he didn't know how to say it. "The barn's full of walkers." Everyone stopped eating and looked at Glenn.

They all got up from the fire and headed to the barn. They gathered around and Rose stayed close to Daryl. Shane was the one who went closer and peeked into the crack of the doors.

Shane turned around and marched up to Rick. "You cannot tell me you're alright with this." He demanded.

"No, I'm not," Rick said. "But we're guests here. This isn't our land."

"This is our lives!" Shane shouted.

"Lower your voice." Glenn demanded.

"We can't just sweep this under the rug." Andrea said.

"It ain't right, not remotely." Shane said. "OK, we either got to go in there, we've got to make things right, or we've just got to go. Now we have been talking about Fort Benning for a while."

"We can't go." Rick said.

"Why, Rick? Why?"

"Because my daughter is still out there," Carol said

"Ok I think it's time that we all start to just consider the other possibility." Shane started.

"We are not leaving Sophia behind." Rose cut in.

"We are close to finding her," Daryl said. "I just found her doll a couple days ago.

"You found her doll Daryl," Shane said. "That's what you did, you found a doll.

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about!" Daryl argued. Rick stepped in front and Rose grabbed Daryl to try to calm him down.

"I'm just saying what needs to be said." Shane said. "You get a good lead, it's in the first 48 hours."

"Shane stop." Rick demanded.

"Let me tell you something else," Shane continued. "If she was alive out there and saw you coming all methed out with your buck knife, and geek ears around your neck, she would run in the other direction!"

Rose released her hold on Daryl and he went forward trying to get at Shane and probably try to kill him. Everyone started shouting and Rick was trying to keep Daryl and Shane away from each other, the others had to step in to help. Rose was kind of hoping that Daryl would get a few punches at Shane.

"Let me talk to Hershel," Rick said. "Let me figure it out."

"What are you gonna figure out?!" Shane shouted

"If we're gonna stay, if we're gonna clear this barn, I have to talk him into it. This is his land."

"Hershel sees those things in there as people," Dale cut in. "Sick people, his wife, step-son"

"You knew?" Rick asked.

"Yesterday, I talked to Hershel."

"And you waited the night?" Shane asked

"I thought we could survive one more night. We did. I was waiting til this morning to say something, but Glenn wanted to be the one."

"The man is crazy Rick." Shane said. "If Hershel thinks those things are alive or no."

At the sound of all the yelling the walkers in the barn could hear them and started to try to get out. They wanted to feed on the live flesh.

Rose was standing in front of Daryl calming him down, but at the sound of the walkers moving, she moved behind him.

After a while, and a lot of discussion, everyone went back to their normal routine, except Shane. He stayed at the barn. He couldn't let it go.

Rose was as scared as anyone about the situation. She stayed in the camp area helping carol with laundry, dishes, and other chores.

Rose looked over and saw Lori helping Carl with school work. She saw the look on Carol's face. She knew Carol wished she could be doing that with Sophia right now. She looked up and saw Daryl heading to where the horses were kept, carrying a saddle. She jumped up and went after him.

She saw him put the saddle on its stand and it looked like he hurt his stitches.

"You can't." She told him.

"I'm fine." He argued.

Carol came running up after them.

"They said you need to heal." Carol said.

"Yean, I don't care." Daryl replied.

"Well I do." Rose said.

"Rick's going out later to follow the trail." Carol said.

"Yean, well I ain't gonna sit around and do nothing." He said.

"No, you're gonna go out there and hurt yourself even worse." Rose argued. "And I'm gonna have to stitch you up again."

"We don't even know if we're gonna find her Daryl." Carol said. Rose turned to look at her. Of all the people, she couldn't believe Carol was one of the first to lose hope. Daryl stopped and turned around as well. "I don't." Carol finished.

"What?" He asked. Rose knew this was not going to be good. After everything he was going through to find Sophia, hearing that Carol was going to give up was going to piss him off.

"We can't lose you too." Carol said quietly.

Daryl dropped the bridle, started to walk away and then threw the saddle to the ground, which hurt his stitches even more.

Carol rushed to him. "Are you alright?" She asked.

"Just leave me be." He said and walked away. "Stupid bitch." He mumbled.

Rose walked up to Carol and put her hand on her shoulder. "It's ok," she said. "He'll calm down soon. He just doesn't like being in a vulnerable state like this."

Carol just smiled at Rose and quietly walked away. Rose went to follow Daryl.

"That was uncalled for." She said as she caught up to him. He was holding his side.

"I don't care. After everything, she has the nerve to say we won't find her. Why is everyone giving up?"

"Because they're scared. Let me see your stitches."

"I'm fine." He said turning away. "Merle was right, we never should have grouped up with these people."

"These people includes me."

"That's not what I mean. They're just a disaster group. Always arguing, always thinking the worst, always scared."

"I'm scared."

He stopped walking and turned to her. He walked up and put his hands on her shoulder. "You have nothing to be scared of, not while I'm here."

"It's hard not to be when the world is like this."

"It's times like this when you have to concentrate on the little good there is left. If you're scared all the time, then you will probably die sooner."

"Who knew you would be so full of optimism?"

He leaned down and kissed her and wrapped her in a hug. When he pulled away she lifted the bottom of his shirt.

"This isn't really the place for this." He joked.

"Shut up, I'm looking at your stitches. You didn't re-open them but I should clean them."

"Any excuse to get my shirt off." She playfully hit his shoulder and they walked to his tent.

She had him lay on the cot as she got a wet cloth and had him take his shirt off.

"You should apologize to Carol." Rose said as she was cleaning the stitches.

"I don't apologize, to anyone." He replied.

"What you said was wrong, and very rude."

"Whatever."

She finished cleaning the stitches in silence and put a new bandage on it. She kissed him on the forehead and walked out to let him rest. It would be best to let him be alone for a while rather than to pressure him to do something.

When Rose exited the tent she saw Shane walking away from an upset looking Lori.

"You ok?" Rose asked as she walked up to Lori.

"Yeah," She replied. "What's up?"

"I just saw you and Shane having an argument. It seems like you two have a lot of those. I just want to make sure everything is ok."

"It's really none of your concern, but thank you." Lori's gaze wandered over to the camp area and Rose followed and saw Shane talking to Carl. That couldn't be good.

"Carl," Lori shouted out. "Come here for a minute."

Rose looked over and saw Daryl walk out of his tent. He went over to Carol and they both walked off talking. Hopefully he was going to apologize to her. Hopefully.

They came walking back to camp a little while later and they both looked in a good mood. That meant things went well. Rose caught Daryl's eye and she shot him a questioning look. He just smiled in return and went to sit next to her.

"Everything ok?" She asked him.

"Yeah," he replied. "It's all good."

She smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder. She sat there leaning on his shoulder while he made new arrows for his crossbow. For once, things were calm and quiet and it felt good.

Daryl looked up and saw Andrea and T-Dog walking up to Glenn and Maggie.

"She was supposed to be gone with Rick by now." Daryl said. He got up and made his way towards them. Rose and Carol followed.

"Where is everyone?" T-Dog asked.

"You haven't seen Rick?" Glenn responded.

"He went off with Hershel." Andrea said. "We were supposed to leave a couple hours ago."

"Yeah you were." Daryl said angrily. "What the hell?"

"Rick told us he was going out." Carol said.

"Damn it. Isn't anyone taking this seriously?" Daryl shouted. Rose put her hand on his arm trying to calm him. "We got us a damn trail." He turned around and saw Shane. "Ah, here we go." Shane started walking towards the group with the bag of guns.

"What's all this?" Rose asked.

Shane ignored her and looked at Daryl. "You with me man?" He asked as he handed him a rifle.

"Yeah," Daryl said taking it.

"What's going on?" Rose asked again.

"Time to Grow up." Shane answered. "You already got yours?" He asked Andrea about her gun.

"Yeah," she answered. "Where's Dale?"

"He's on his way." He said as he handed a gun to T-Dog.

"I thought we couldn't carry." Glenn said.

"Yeah, well we can and we have to." Shane said. "Look, it was one thing sitting around and picking daisies, when we thought this place was supposed to be safe. But now we know it ain't. How 'bout you man?" He asked turning to Glenn and holding a gun out to him. "You gonna protect yours?"

Glenn glanced at Maggie before taking the gun.

Then Shane turned to Rose. "Here, I know you can shoot." He said holding out a gun to her.

"I'm not taking that." She said, crossing her arms.

"We need all people on this."

"I don't like what you're doing and I am not going to participate in it."

"Take the damn gun Rose."

"Get it out of her face Shane." Daryl said. "She doesn't want to and we don't need her to."

Shane glared but then turned to Maggie.

"You're ok with this?" Rose asked Daryl.

"There are walkers in the barn. It's not safe. And I will do what I need to do to keep us safe. You have to be able to understand that."

"I understand it. I just don't like it. And I won't be mad if you do what you feel must be done. And honestly, I do not feel safe with those things in there, but I don't feel that it is our call."

They turned their attention back to Shane.

"Now look, Hershel, he's just got to understand." Shane said. "He's gonna have to." Then he turned to Carl. "Now, we need to find Sophia, am I right?" He asked as he knelt down in front of Carl. "Now, I want you to take this." He held out a pistol to Carl. "You take it Carl, and you keep your mother safe. You do whatever it takes. You know how, you take the gun and do it."

Lori stepped in, "Rick said no guns, this is not your call. This is not your decision to make."

"Oh shit," they heard T-Dog say. They followed his gaze.

"Oh my," Rose said as they saw Rick coming out of the trees with two walkers heading towards the barn.

They all started running towards the herders.

"What the hell are you doing?" Shane shouted and the group got closer.

"Shane just back off." Rick said. Rose could not believe what Rick was doing.

"Why do your people have guns?" Hershel asked.

"You're herding walkers, and you're worried why our people have guns?" Rose asked in disbelief.

"Are you kidding me?" Shane shouted. "You see? You see what they're holding on to?"

"I see who I'm holding on to." Hershel shouted.

"No man, you don't."

"Just let us deal with this and then we can talk." Rick said.

"What do you want to talk about Rick?" Rose asked. "This is wrong."

"These things ain't sick, they're not people." Shane said. "They're dead, ain't gonna feel nothing for them, 'cause all they do, they kill. These things right here. They're the things that killed Amy."

Rose never thought she would be siding with Shane against Rick, but in this instance, Shane was right.

"They killed Otis," Shane continued. "They're gonna kill all of us."

"Shane shut up!" Rick shouted. Him and Hershel were still herding the walkers towards the barn and the group was following around them.

"Hey Hershel, man, let me ask you something." Shane still continued as he pulled out a gun. "Could a living breathing person, could they walk away from this?" He held up the gun and then shot the female walker three times in the abdomen. "That's three rounds to the chest, could someone who's alive, could they just take that? Why is it still coming?" He shot it again. "That's its heart, its lungs. Why is it still coming?" He shot it again.

"Shane that's enough." Rick shouted.

"Yeah, you're right man." Shane said walking up to the walker. "That is enough." He finished by shooting it point blank in the head.

Everyone just stared as it fell to the ground. Rose did not agree with keeping walkers in a barn, but she also did not agree with the way Shane was dealing with it.

"Enough, risking our lives for a little girl who's gone! Enough, living next to a barn full of things that are trying to kill us! Enough! Rick it ain't like it was before. Now, if y'all want to live, if you want to survive, you got to fight for it! I'm talking about fighting, right here, right now!" He ran the rest of the way to the barn doors.

"Stay behind me." Daryl said to Rose.

"Not a problem." She responded.

Rick was trying to get Hershel to take the snare pole of the walker that was still up and at the same time trying to get Shane to stop. Neither was working. Hershel was sitting on the ground not moving or talking, he was just watching. And Shane had picked up a pick axe and was opening the doors. Everyone had their guns ready.

The walkers started to come out of the barn and charge at the group. Shane started to shoot them as they came out and one by one the people with guns went up to help.

Shane turned once to look at Rick and shoot the walker that he was holding.

At the end of it there must have been at least 20 walkers on the ground. It was all over. Rose walked up to Daryl and put a hand on his shoulder. He turned to her and saw tears in her eyes. She was scared completely. He wrapped her in a hug.

Just when they thought it was all over they heard one more growling from the inside of the barn. Rose peeked out from the safety of Daryl's arms and saw what she was so hoping she wouldn't.

A walker that looked like Sophia came walking out of the barn. She looked closer and realized that it was Sophia. Or that it used to be. She had gotten bitten and had turned into a walker.

"Oh God," Rose whispered. Daryl pulled her in closer.

Carol started sobbing and tried to run to her daughter. Daryl let go of Rose and grabbed Carol so she wouldn't go any further.

Rose noticed Shane take a step back. He couldn't do what needed to be done now. Nobody could. They all just stared at her. Rose knelt down next to Daryl to help soothe Carol.

Rick was the only one that would step up. He walked forward and raised his revolver. He looked at her in the eyes and then pulled the trigger.


	18. Chapter 18

Nobody spoke, they couldn't. Seeing Sophia walk out of that barn was the last thing any of them expected. Daryl tried to help Carol away from the area but she just shook him off and ran off on her own.

Carol wasn't the only one affected by this massacre though. Rose noticed Beth crying and ran over to look at the bodies. She soon found the one she was looking for, her mother. She knelt down next to the body and rolled it over. But it wasn't dead. It started groaning and grabbed her head and was trying to eat her.

Some of the men rushed forward to help her. Glenn held the body of the walker in place while Andrea ran up with a pick axe and smashed it into the walkers head killing it for good.

Everyone started making their way back towards the house in silence. There was nothing anyone could say to make this situation better. But they could definitely make it worse.

"We've been out combing the woods looking for her, and she's been in there the whole time?" Shane shouted. He was obviously outraged. And he was definitely going to make it worse.

"You knew?" Maggie asked her father.

Shane tried running up to Hershel to talk about it but Rick tried stopped him.

"Shane, just stop man." Rick said to him.

"Get your hands off me." Shane replied shaking Rick off of him. He continued his rant. "You knew and you kept it from us."

"I didn't know." Hershel said, but it sounded like a lie.

"That's bullshit. I think you all knew."

"We didn't know." Maggie shot at Shane.

"Why was she there?"

"Shane, now is not the time to do this." Rose said, trying to get him to stop.

"According to all of you, there is never a right time to talk about any real stuff. I want to know."

"Otis put those people in the barn." Hershel said. They all stopped walking and listened to him. "Maybe he found her and put her in there before he was killed."

"You expect me to believe that?" Shane asked. Rose was honestly having a hard time believing that too but she still wasn't going to side with Shane. "Do I look like an idiot?" Rose wanted to answer that question but knew it would only lead to more trouble.

"I don't care what you believe." Hershel said.

"Everybody, just calm down," Rick said as he stood in between the two arguing men.

Hershel was beyond being nice by now. "Get him off my land!" He ordered.

"Let me tell you something." Shane continued grabbing Hershel.

Maggie stepped forward and slapped Shane. "Don't you touch him. Haven't you done enough?"

Hershel and his family walked up the steps to go into the house. Hershel stopped just before the door and turned to look at Rick. "I mean it." He said. "Off my land." Then he walked inside with the others and shut the door. Glenn followed them into the house, probably to go talk to Maggie.

"Fantastic." Rose said. "Are you happy now? We finally had a safe place to stay for a while. And you had to go ruin it."

"Safe? You thought this place was safe? With all those walkers in the barn?" Shane looked at her in disbelief.

"We didn't know they were there and we were fine. It wasn't until we found out about them that we got scared. And I'm not saying I agree with what Hershel did, but it wasn't our choice. It isn't our property."

"That is, just stupid thinking."

Rose slapped him. "Maybe you should start thinking about others instead of just yourself." She started to walk away, and then turned to look at him again. "Oh, and I may be a lot of things Shane, but I am not stupid." Then she turned and walked back to camp to look for Daryl.

She was walking by the area next to the barn when she heard Carl talking to Lori.

"I thought I'd find her." Carl said.

"We all did." Lori said.

"No, I mean me. Like maybe she was hiding somewhere, in a cave or a tree. She'd be safe. And I'd find her, and bring her back. He did the right thing. Shooting her like that. I would have done the same thing."

It was hard for Rose to listen to that. He was so full of hope. He was like a light to her in this world. He could always brighten her day. But he was beginning to lose all that. Now that he knew that if someone got lost, they most likely wouldn't survive, he was going to slowly lose any hope he had left.

She noticed Shane walking over so she decided to keep moving and find Daryl. She saw him walk into the RV where Carol was. She made her way over there and quietly walked in. No one was talking so she just sat next to Carol and put her arm around her shoulders while Daryl sat on the counter by the sink.

They stayed like that until Lori walked in a little while later.

"They're ready." Lori said meaning that the graves were dug and it was time to bury Sophia.

"Come on." Rose said quietly.

"Why?" Carol asked.

"'Cause that's your little girl." Daryl said.

Carol looked up at him. "That's not my little girl." She said. "That's some other thing. My Sophia was alone in the woods. All this time, I thought she didn't cry herself to sleep. She didn't go hungry. She didn't try to find her way back. Sophia died a long time ago."

Lori quietly walked back out of the RV. Daryl looked like he was getting mad now. He slid off the counter and looked at Carol shortly before he walked out.

Rose stayed next to Carol for a few minutes before she was sure she wasn't coming and then gave her a little hug and walked out.

The whole group stood around the graves in silence. Sure enough, Carol didn't show up. Daryl stood off a few feet from the rest of the group.

Rose could tell he was losing his want to be part of the group again. All he had was finding Sophia. Now that she was gone, he had nothing to do for the group.

She quietly walked over to him and took his hand in hers. For a second she could tell he almost pulled away. But he looked down at her sad smile and tightened his grip on her hand. She could tell this was going to be hard for him. She just didn't understand how hard it was.

Shane was the first one of the group to leave. After that everyone started to disperse. Dale, T-Dog, Andrea and Rick went to pick up the rest of the bodies to burn them. Daryl let go of Rose's hand and walked off on his own. Rose thought about following him, but maybe it was better if he had a little time to his own right now. So instead she made her way to go help with the bodies.

"If this barn had any more walkers we would have been over run." Andrea said as Rose walked up.

"Yeah," T-Dog agreed. "It's a good thing Shane did what he did."

"You can't tell me this was right?" Dale asked.

"It wasn't, it'll cost us with Hershel." Rick said.

"He's grieving, he'll come around." Andrea said.

"He might not." Rose said. "That was his family, he honestly thought there was a cure and they would get better. And in his eyes, we just murdered them." Rose said.

"We had no choice." Andrea said. "Look, I shot too, this wasn't all Shane."

"The shooting isn't the problem." Rose argued. "It was the opening the barn and letting them out so that we had to shoot them. This wasn't our choice. Not our land."

"Look, I got no qualms about it." T-Dog said. "Walkers in my backyard? Uh-uh."

"But this wasn't our backyard." Rose said.

"I'm not saying we shouldn't have taken care of the problem." Dale interjected. "But creating a panic?"

"There's no point arguing about it. It's already done." Lori said. "There's nothing we can do about it."

"You're right." Rose said. "Damage is done and now we have to leave and face the unknowing if we are going to survive again." She walked away from them. Knowing no good was going to come from talking about it. She decided to start cleaning up the camp site to get ready for when they had to move out. She was in the middle of cleaning the dishes when Glen came running up to her.

"Rose, you gotta come." Was all he said before he waited a split second and turned heading back to the house. Rose quickly got up and ran after him.

Glenn quickly filled her in before sending her upstairs. She entered the upstairs bedroom to see Maggie's sister on the bed. Lori was in there as well.

"What's wrong with her?" Maggie asked.

"She might be in shock." Rose suggested.

"Where's Hershel?" Lori asked.

"We can't find him anywhere." Glenn said.

Lori quickly walked out to go look for Rick and find Hershel.

"Can I take a look?" Rose asked.

Maggie silently stepped aside and let Rose check on her Beth. Rose looked at her eyes to check her pupils. She checked her pulse and blood pressure too. "There's nothing majorly wrong with her. It's just shock. Let her rest and when she's ready she will come around. It wouldn't hurt to try to get her to eat though." Rose explained.

Rose kept an eye on Beth while Maggie and Glenn went to talk to Rick. In the end Rick and Glenn decided to make a run into town to look for Hershel at the bar.

A little while later there were five people in the room with Beth. Lori, Maggie, Andrea, Rose, and Patricia.

"Ok everyone it's a little crowded in here." Rose said.

"How is she?" Patricia asked.

"Her heart is racing and she's burning up. We could use a cold wash cloth."

Patricia went to grab one. She returned a few minutes later.

"Rose, can you find Daryl for me?" Lori asked.

"Why can't you?" Rose asked.

"Because he doesn't really like talking to anyone, but he will talk to you."

"Well, I don't think Beth's situation is going to change. Keep the cold cloth on her forehead. What do you need from Daryl?"

"I'm wondering if he can go and bring the guys back quickly. Hershel should be here for Beth."

"I'll go see what I can do, you come with me and ask yourself, but I don't think he will agree to that."

Rose and Lori walked out of the room and went to the camp area but did not see Daryl or any of his stuff. She looked around and noticed him quite a ways from the rest of the camp area next to the stack of wood. That made her heart drop a little bit. She remained calm and made her way over to him.

"Moving to the suburbs?" She asked as she got close to him. He made no reply. "Beth is in a catatonic shock and the family wants Hershel to be here."

"Yeah, so what?" Daryl responded.

"So I was wondering if you could make a run into town and bring him and Rick back." Lori said

"Your bitch went window shopping. You want him you can go get him yourself. I got better things to do."

"What's the matter with you? Don't be so selfish." Lori shot at him. Not the best thing to say, Rose thought

Daryl stood up and faced Lori. "Selfish? Listen up Olive Oyl was out there looking for that little girl every single day. I took a bullet and an arrow in the process. Don't you tell me about me getting my hands dirty. You want those two idiots, have a nice ride. I'm done looking for people." He sat down and went back to making arrows.

Rose sat on the ground and just looked at him. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"Making arrows, what's it look like?" He responded.

"I don't mean that, I mean moving out here away from everyone, away from me."

"Maybe it's me trying to tell you something."

"Trying to tell me what?" She was getting upset.

He stopped with the stick and looked up. "That maybe I want to be alone."

"Daryl, we just started."

"Maybe we shouldn't have even done that."

"No, this is just you doing what you do. Because it's easier for you to walk away than it is to stay. But you are stronger than that."

"Maybe I don't want to be. I'm tired of caring for people and having them disappear or become one of those things. I'm done with it." He stood up and started to walk away.

"It was your idea to start this." She called to him. He stopped but did not turn around. "I didn't want to get into it, but you did. And after one day you're going to give up? That isn't you Daryl. That's just being scared and weak. I let you convince me into this and now I'm thinking it was a bad idea."

"I ain't scared or weak." He argued as he turned around.

"Yes you are." She said and he started walking back to her. "You're scared that if you get too deep into this with me then you will lose me, that if one day I get taken by a walker that it will hurt you too much."

"Shut up." He said as he got closer

"And you're scared of that feeling, so it's easier to walk away. You're not used to this stuff, well neither am I." Now he was right in front of her. She knew she was getting to him.

"I ain't scared of anything."

"Prove it." She challenged.

"I don't have to prove anything to you."

"No, but you have to prove it to yourself. Right now you're second guessing everything. You're afraid of getting too close."

He pushed her against the tree that was there and kissed her. "I'm not going to be the one to walk away." He said. "I'm not scared, or weak. I'm worried. I'm worried that if we get into this too far then one day if I die I won't be here to protect you."

"Oh come on, Daryl, everyone knows you won't die. You're a survivor." She smiled and kissed him again. "You gonna move back closer to camp?"

"No, they're too dramatic. But you can move out here."

She smiled. "I gotta get back to Beth. I'll see you later." She walked back to the house.

As she was closer to the house she noticed Lori with her jacket on and a gun. "Where are you going?" Rose asked her.

"Nowhere," Lori replied. "Just going for a walk."

Rose could tell she was lying but she didn't push it. She had noticed before that Lori was kind of secretive and maybe for good reason. So she left it alone. When Rose walked into the house, she thought she heard the sound of a car door just before she shut the house door.


	19. Chapter 19

Beth was sleeping when Rose got up to her room. She checked Beth's vitals and temp and then left her to rest. She made her way outside to get some fresh air.

When she walked out the front door she noticed one of the cars was missing. She noticed Daryl walking by and asked him.

"Daryl, do you know where the other car went?"

He looked up at her and then at the driveway. "No." He replied.

"Have you seen Lori?"

"Maybe she took my advice and went after them herself."

"If she did then that means she went by herself. Not a good idea."

"Don't worry about it. They'll be back soon. So will she."

Night came and there was still no sign of any of the four people they were expecting. Rose went inside the house to help prepare for dinner.

"They should've been back by now." Andrea said as she walked into the room.

"Yeah, they just got holed up somewhere." Shane said, not sounding worried at all. "We'll head out first thing in the morning."

Carl looked a little upset at the fact that his parents weren't there.

"Just keep your head up Carl." Rose said.

"Yeah," Shane added in. "Your dad is one of the toughest son of,"

"No cussing in the house." Patricia interrupted.

"Lori, dinner." Carol called.

"She's not there." Maggie said.

"Where is she?" Dale asked.

No one said anything. No one knew for sure.

"I think she may have left." Rose said quietly.

"Carl, when was the last time you saw your mom?" Shane asked.

"Just this afternoon." Carl replied.

"She was worried about Rick." Andrea said. "Asked me to look in on Carl."

"What do you mean you think she left?" Shane asked Rose.

"When I was coming back to check on Beth I saw her walking outside, then when I came back out, one of the cars was missing." Rose answered.

"She went after them." Shane said.

"We don't know that." Dale said.

"Nobody panic." Shane said. "She's gonna be around here somewhere."

Everybody got up from the table and started to look around the house. Rose remained sitting though. She should have stopped Lori when she saw her earlier. Instead she went to where Daryl had set up camp. When she got closer she saw Carol talking to Daryl. She hung back and listened.

"We can't find Lori anywhere, and the others aren't back yet." She said to them.

"Yeah," Daryl said. "Dumb bitch must've gone off looking for them."

"What?" Carol asked.

"Yeah, she asked me to go. Told her I was done being an errand boy."

"And you didn't say anything?" Carol started to walk away and then turned back around. "Don't do this, please. I've already lost my girl."

Daryl stood up and faced Carol. "That wasn't my problem either." He walked away from her and went into his tent.

Carol stood there for a bit and then walked away. Rose waited until Carol was gone and then made her way to Daryl's tent.

"Hey," She said as she approached him.

"So you decided to come out here." He said. She just laid down next to him quietly and put her head on his shoulder. "You ok?" He asked her.

"Not really." She responded.

"What's wrong?"

"I just feel like I could have done more to stop Lori when I saw her walking out of the house."

"Hey," he said while putting his arm around her. "It's not your fault. She was going to go no matter what you could've said to her."

"This group is so fucked up. Shane's in love with Lori, Lori has her husband back but has that guilt hanging over her and I think she's hiding something, Carl is losing his innocence, Sophia turned into a walker, Rick is trying to keep it all together but it's falling apart anyway. The group is splitting in half between those who support Rick and those who support Shane. And then there's the ones who just can't decide so they keep quiet and hope for the best. I can't even protect myself, I rely on you and that's just going to get you killed."

"Stop being so pessimistic." They laid there in silence for a while when they heard someone moving outside the tent. "Stay here, I'll be right back." He quietly made his way out the tent and Rose moved to the door to watch and listen. Eves dropping was a bad habit but she couldn't stop.

"What are you doing?" He asked as he snuck up behind Carol.

"Keeping an eye one you." Carol responded.

"Ain't you a peach."

"I'm not gonna let you pull away. You've earned your place."

"If you'd spent half your time minding your daughters business instead of sticking your nose in everybody else's, she'd still be alive."

"Daryl!" Rose shouted at him as she came out of the tent.

"It's ok, Rose. He can go ahead." Carol said.

"Go ahead and what?" Daryl asked. She didn't answer. "Just go, I don't want you here. You're a real piece of work lady. What, you gonna make this about my daddy or some crap like that? You're afraid 'cause you're all alone. You got no husband, no daughter."

"Daryl, stop." Rose tried to interrupt but Daryl kept going.

"You don't know what to do with yourself." He continued. "You ain't my problem, Sophia wasn't mine. All you had to do was keep an eye on her!"

Carol flinched back a little but didn't say anything in reply. Eventually she just turned and walked away. Daryl turned around and saw the look on Rose's face. He took a step towards her but she stepped back.

"Rose," He started to say.

"No," She interrupted. "I'm going to go sleep in my tent tonight. You can stay way out here where you want to be and calm down." She walked away and passed the line of animals he had hanging up. She noticed at the end of the line was a necklace of ears. She turned around to face Daryl and pointed at it. "I don't know what's up with this, but I am trying to be patient with you Daryl. I like you. I don't care who you used to be, I'm sure I wouldn't have liked you back then, but I like who you have become. But if you go back to being like Merle, well, I don't know if I could like you then." She turned and walked back to camp.

When she woke up the next day, the first thing she did was go check on Beth. She was in there checker her vitals when Andrea walked in.

"How is she?" Andrea asked.

Rose didn't answer. She just kept going about her work.

"Dehydrated," Patricia answered.

"Set up an I.V." Rose said. "Best we can do right now."

Patricia walked out of the room to get the supplies. Rose stepped back, allowing Maggie to sit on the bed next to Beth. Andrea sat on the foot of the bed.

"Can I get you anything?" Andrea asked Maggie.

"No, I just wish my dad was here." Maggie answered.

"She'll be ok." Rose said.

"You just need to be strong for her." Andrea added.

Rose decided to leave the room and let them have space. She really didn't feel like listening to any more of Maggie reminding Beth of memories. She walked outside and saw Shane, T-Dog, Daryl and Andrea putting stuff in a car and gearing up.

"What's going on?" She asked as she approached.

"Going to bring the guys back." Daryl said.

"I thought you said you were done with that?"

He just gave her a look and went back to getting ready. They all turned at the sound of a vehicle on the driveway. They saw the red truck pulling up with four guys in it.

"They leave to get one and bring back two." Rose said.

People rushed forward to embrace their loved ones but no one really said anything.

"Patricia, prepare the shed for surgery." Hershel said, breaking the silence.

"Are you ok?" Lori asked Rick.

"Yeah, but what happened to you?" Rick responded.

"I was in a car accident."

"Accident? How?"

"She snuck out on her own. I brought her back." Shane said

"Are you crazy?" Rick scolded.

"Who the hell is that?" T-Dog asked finally mentioning the extra man in the car.

"That's Randall." Glenn answered.

Rose noticed Shane give Rick a 'what the hell' look. Rose turned away from them, not wanting to know what was going on and went to walk away. Daryl grabbed her arm and stopped her.

"Can we talk?" He asked her.

"I think Hershel might need my help with surgery. Maybe later." She said

"Is everything ok?"

"In this world? Nothing is ok." She turned and walked towards where Hershel went.

Rose and Hershel did the best they could with Randall's calf. Without the proper medical supplies it was hard though. That kind of puncture wound was difficult to begin with. Once they were done, they headed down to the group.

"We repaired his calf muscle the best we can." Hershel said. "But he'll probably have nerve damage."

"Won't be on his feet for at least a week." Rose added.

"When he is, we give him a canteen and take him out to the main road, send him on his way." Rick said.

"Isn't that the same as leaving him for the walkers?" Andrea asked.

"He'll have a fighting chance."

"You're just gonna let him go?" Shane asked. "He knows where we are."

"He was blindfolded the whole way here." Rick said. "He's not a threat."

"Not a threat?" Shane argued. "How many of them were there? You killed three of their men, took one of them hostage, but they just ain't gonna come looking for them?"

"They left him for dead. No one is looking."

"We should still post a guard." T-Dog said.

"He's out cold right now." Hershel said. "Will be for hours."

"Look, I'm gonna go out and get him some flowers and candy." Shane said standing up. "Look folks, we back in fantasy land." He walked out of the room.

"You know we haven't even dealt with what you did at my barn yet." Hershel said, stopping him. "Let me make this perfectly clear, once and for all. This is my farm. Now I wanted you gone, Rick talked me out of it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. So do us both a favor, keep your mouth shut."

Shane shook his head but walked out silently.

"Look," Rick started. "We're not gonna do anything about it today. Let's just cool off." At the sound of that Andrea got annoyed and walked out as well.

The whole group disposed after that. Maggie went to talk to Glenn, Andrea went to find Shane, Hershel went up to Beth's room, Lori and Rick went to talk, Carol tried to approach Daryl but he walked off. Rose went off in the direction that Daryl stormed off in. She found him out by where he set up camp.

"Hey," She said quietly as she approached.

"Now you wanna talk?" He questioned her.

"Please don't get angry. Our conversations never go well when you start them off in a tone like that." She sat down next to him.

"Right, because it's always my fault."

"That's not what I'm saying. I just want one conversation without yelling or insults or walkers."

"What else is there to talk about?"

"The weather?" That got a smile out of him. "You should smile more. It looks good on you."

He finally looked at her and she looked into those deadly blue eyes. "Let's go for a walk." He said standing up and taking her hand in his.

She let him lead her into the woods. "Where are we going?" She asked him. She never liked going into the wooded area, even though she knew she was safe with Daryl.

"Somewhere where there is no yelling, insults, walkers or other people. Just you and me."

He led her the rest of the way in silence. They finally emerged in a little clearing of bright green grass and some wild flowers. There were no obstructions above so the sun could shine right down into it.

"This is beautiful. How did you find it?" She asked him.

"On one of my hunting trips." He replied. He set his crossbow on the ground and then pulled her close and kissed her. He kissed her passionately but also rough. Just the way he was. He started to undo her shirt until she stopped him.

"I don't think here is the place, we'll be in the middle of nowhere and vulnerable."

"I'm never vulnerable." He said and then continued. He laid her down in the grass and she didn't stop him after that. Another perfect moment where they had no worries about anything, and she was not going to ruin it.


	20. Chapter 20

They spent the rest of the daylight out in the field with each other. Daryl was teacher her how to handle and use a gun, without actually firing it. As well as his crossbow. He did let her fire that one, seeing as it made no noise. She was a bad at the beginning but with his teaching she was able to hit her target. No arguments, no yelling, and no insults. They just enjoyed each other's company. They returned to Daryl's tent just before sun down.

"So, you think you might be able to take me out to the range we went before and let me actually shoot the gun?" Rose asked him as they got to the tent.

"Sure, we'll see about going tomorrow." He replied. Then they climbed in his tent and had a peaceful sleep.

When they woke up the next morning they returned to the camp area that the rest of the group was staying at. Rick and Shane were getting ready to leave with the other boy.

"Where you guys going?" Rose asked Rick.

"We're taking him out and letting him go on the road." He replied.

"You sure he won't be able to find his way back and bring the rest of his group?"

"He'll be blindfolded. Don't worry."

"I was thinking of taking her out and teaching her how to shoot." Daryl said to Rick.

"She can already shoot." Shane cut in.

"I was thinking of properly teaching her." Daryl said while glaring daggers at Shane.

"Yeah, that should be fine." Rick said.

Rose did one more check up on Beth before heading out. Beth wasn't so much catatonic anymore. She responded to voice and touch and even talked now, but she still lay in bed feeling depressed.

"I'm heading out for a bit," Rose said to Lori. "Mind keeping an eye on her?"

"Not a problem." Lori said.

With that, Rose met Daryl out front and they headed out for practice.

When they got to the clearing they set everything up. Daryl got out some tin cans and bottles that he brought along. When he was done setting them up, he handed a gun to Rose. She took the gun in her hands, clicked off the safety, and aimed. That's when she froze, every single time. She always had the gun aimed perfectly but could not pull the trigger.

Since Daryl had heard the story about her father, he knew to stay patient with her. He didn't try to rush her or grow impatient at all. She stayed in the same position for about 15 minutes. The whole time she was talking to herself in her head. A walker wasn't going to sit in front of her, waiting for her to get the courage to pull the trigger.

She glared at the tin can in front of her, taunting her. It sat there free of bullet holes, making fun of her. Suddenly she hated the can. She got really mad at it, at herself for being weak. It reminded her of everything in her life that had made her feel that weak. Her father, James, everything. It took years for her to get over her past and to move on and become the great doctor that she was. She got over her past, which meant that she should also be over her problems with guns. She looked at the gun in her hands and at then at the tin can again. Then she pulled the trigger and blew the tin can off of its perch. Immediately after that one, she quickly shot all the other targets off of their stands.

Daryl looked at her, somewhat stunned. He saw the angry look on her face and wasn't sure what she was thinking.

"Well," Daryl started.

"Again," Rose demanded, still holding the gun pointed out where the targets were.

She did it twice more, with less hesitation. She would have done it more if they weren't worried about conserving ammo. She lowered the gun and looked down at the ground.

Daryl slowly walked up to her and carefully took the gun from her hand. He holstered it and then wrapped his arms around her. "You did well," he said quietly.

"We should probably head back." Rose suggested. They quietly made their way back to the farm. Rose was actually feeling better about herself. Now she knew she could be helpful if they were attacked by walkers again.

When they got back to the farm Rose smiled at Daryl and gave him a quick kiss before going into the house to check on Beth. She met Lori in the kitchen.

"Hey, how's Beth?" Rose asked her.

"Tried to feed her, but she wouldn't eat." Lori replied as she picked up the fork to start eating the chicken herself. Before she took a bit she looked for something and then sighed.

"What's wrong?" Rose asked.

"There was a knife here, now it's not."

The two women rushed upstairs to Beth's room.

"Beth?" Lori asked as they entered the room. They saw Beth laying on her side away from the door completely covered in her blanket. Lori looked down at the bedside table and started looking for the knife. When she couldn't find it she stood up and looked down at Beth. "You give it to me, sweetheart."

"You don't wanna do this." Rose added.

Without turning to face them, Beth slowly pulled the knife out and handed it to Lori. Lori took it and walked out of the room. Rose remained.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Rose asked.

"You're a surgeon, not a therapist." Beth replied before pulling the blanket back up.

"Well, if you ever want to talk, I'll be here." Then Rose walked out of the room. She went back down to the kitchen but didn't see Lori. She looked out the window and saw her talking to Andrea.

When Lori returned she explained that she asked Andrea to look for Maggie or Hershel.

"Good idea." Rose said. "One of them should be here watching Beth. It'd be better with someone she is comfortable with than one of us."

Maggie showed up not long after and Rose and Lori stayed down in the kitchen with Andrea while Maggie lectured Beth.

"Where's Hershel?" Andrea asked.

"He doesn't want to find out yet." Lori said.

"It's a family affair, we'll let them work it out." Rose said.

"That's working it out?" Andrea asked, referring to the yelling coming from upstairs.

"When Beth stops fighting, that's when it's time to worry." Rose said.

"This could have been handled better." Andrea said.

"How so?" Lori asked.

"You shouldn't have taken the knife away." Andrea explained.

Rose did not agree. She was sure this had something to do with her and Dale.

"Excuse me?" Lori asked.

"You were wrong." Andrea said. "Like Dale taking my gun, that wasn't your decision. She has to choose to live on her own. She has to find her own reasons."

"Want us to tie a noose for her?" Rose asked.

"If she's serious, she'll figure out a way." Andrea said.

"That doesn't mean we can't stop her." Lori said. "Or let her know that we care."

"That has nothing to do with it Lori," Andrea said haughtily. "She only has so many choices in front of her, and she believes the best one is suicide."

"I've seen many suicidal patients." Rose said. "Not all of them are serious, you can tell the difference. Beth is not a serious one. She's just depressed because her mom died. She'll get over it."

"Suicide is not an option." Lori said.

"Of course it is." Andrea replied. "She doesn't need to be yelled at, or treated like a child."

"She needs a loaded gun right?" Lori said sarcastically.

"You'll understand if we don't send you in there right?" Rose asked Andrea.

"I came through it." Andrea said.

"And became such a productive member of the group." Lori said, again sarcastically.

"Let Maggie handle this her way." Rose said.

"I contribute." Andrea argued. "I help keep this place safe."

"The men can handle this on their own. They don't need your help." Lori said. She threw the dish towel she was using and started to walk out but Andrea stopped her.

"I'm sorry, what would you have me do?" She asked.

"Oh, there's plenty of work to go around." Lori responded.

"Are you serious? Everything falls apart and you're in my face over skipping laundry?"

"It puts a burden on the rest of us. On me, Rose, Carol, Patricia and Maggie, cooking and cleaning and caring for Beth."

"It's basically gone back to way back when, when the men did the hunting, the protecting, the work, and the women do the house chores." Rose said.

"Then that means you shouldn't be a doctor." Andrea said.

"And you, you don't care about anyone but yourself." Lori said to Andrea. "You sit up on that RV, working on your tan with a shotgun on your lap."

"I am on watch against walkers. That is what matters, not fresh mint leaves in the lemonade."

"That's why you almost killed Daryl." Rose said. "You got too eager to kill something that you didn't wait to see if it was actually a walker."

"We are providing stability here." Lori said. "We are trying to create a life worth living."

"Are you kidding me?" Andrea retorted.

"Look, I went after Rick, I took down two walkers."

"After crashing Maggie's car." Andrea cut in. "Ever apologize for that?"

"Crashing her..?" Lori trailed off. "You're insane."

"No, you are. And you're the ones that are self-centered. The way you take it all for granted."

"My husband is out there. For the hundredth time. My son was shot. Don't you dare tell me that I take this for granted." Lori yelled in Andrea's face.

"Just let the men handle the walkers. They're better at it." Rose interjected.

"Just because you can't protect yourself doesn't mean that all of us should be weak and useless like you." Andrea shot at Rose, silencing her immediately. "You don't get it do you? Rick came back from the dead, you're son too, now you got a baby on the way. The rest of us have piled up our losses, me, Carol, Beth, but you just keep on keeping on. Playing house, acting like the queen bee, laying down rule for everyone but yourself. You know what? Go ahead. Go in there and tell that little girl that everything's going to be ok, just like it is for you. She'll get a husband, a son, a baby, and boyfriend. She just has to look on the bright side." When she was done ranting, she just sighed and walked out.

Rose and Lori didn't say much after that. They just sat there in the kitchen quietly.

"You're not weak or useless." Lori said after a while to Rose.

"Yes I am." Rose responded. "But I'm use to feeling like that. Granted I haven't felt like that since I was 20. I can understand where Andrea is coming from. She feels useless doing house chores. She wants to be helpful so she's doing what she can to not feel weak."

Lori went outside while Rose stayed in the kitchen. She was just thinking about everything. She knew she wasn't weak now, she knew how to shoot, how to protect herself. Daryl was helping her with that. But Andrea's words still hurt. For most of Rose's life, she had been weak and useless. She had been pushed around by everyone and went along with it. Even when she got over it, she was still quiet and never got angry with people or talked back to them, except Daryl and it worked with him. Maybe sometimes she just needed to stand up for herself.

Just then Maggie came walking into the kitchen.

"What are you doing down here?" Rose asked. "I thought you were keeping watch on Beth."

"Andrea came up to relieve me and give me a break while she watches Beth." Maggie said.

"Maggie, that's not a good idea."

"What do you mean?"

"Andrea thinks Beth should work through it on her own."

Maggie looked at Rose and then bolted for the stairs. Rose followed her. They got up to Beth's room, but Beth was not in her bed.

"Beth?" Maggie called out. They heard crying coming from the bathroom. Maggie rushed over to it and then they heard glass shatter. Maggie started trying to open the door but it was locked and she started banging on the door.

"Maggie?" They looked over and saw Lori had com in.

"She's in there." Maggie said. "We heard glass."

"Beth, are you alright?" Rose asked through the door.

"Don't do this Beth, open up." Maggie pleaded. "I left her with Andrea." She explained to Lori.

"Is there a key?" Rose asked.

"I don't know." Maggie said.

Lori looked around the room and saw an iron fire poker. She grabbed it and used it to pry open the door. The three women looked in and saw Beth holding her bleeding wrist.

"I'm sorry." Beth said to them.

They got her back on the bed while Rose cleaned her and wrapped it up.

"Well, it's not deep, but you will still need some stitches." Rose said to Beth. She finished and then Lori and Rose followed Maggie as she stormed out of the house. As they got to the porch Andrea ran up and met them there.

"Where were you?" Maggie asked her.

"I heard, is she alright?" Andrea asked.

"She would be, if you had stayed with her. Where were you?"

"How bad is she?"

"It wasn't deep." Rose said.

"She wants to live." Andrea said. "She made her decision."

"She tried to kill herself." Maggie argued.

"No she didn't."

"Rose had to stitch up her wrist."

"She'll live."

"Stay away from her." Maggie said as Andrea tried to go into the house. "From both of us, don't you dare step foot inside this house again." Andrea sighed and walked away.

"I'm not gonna say she was right." Rose said to Maggie. "But Beth has made her choice. She wants to live and now she knows it. And sometimes you have to cross the line." Maggie just shrugged and walked inside. Lori went inside too but Rose stayed outside and sat on the steps.

Night came and Rick and Shane returned with the boy.

"I thought you were getting rid of him?" Rose asked as she met them at the car.

"We got attacked by walkers. I couldn't leave him to be eaten by them. I promised him a chance to get away." Rick explained. "We're gonna lock him up in the barn tonight and deal with him tomorrow." He took Randall and headed to the barn.

Rose looked at Shane but he just silently walked away. Rose was getting tired so she headed to her tent. She sat down on her sleeping bag and just sat there thinking. She never wanted to rely on a guy after what happened with James and her father. She never wanted to need to be by them at the end of the day. But as she sat there on her sleeping bag, she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep. She sighed and got up and stomped her way to Daryl's tent. She unzipped it and walked inside and lay down next to him.

"I wasn't sure if you were coming." He said as he wrapped his arm around her.

"I wasn't going to." She said. "But apparently I can't sleep without knowing you're there to protect me." She hated that feeling. "Can you teach me more about weapons tomorrow, like how to clean guns and use other objects against walkers?"

"Of course." He said. She kissed him and then they both fell asleep.

She was happy to finally have someone who treated her right. But she didn't like the fact that she needed him to protect her. He shouldn't have to worry about her when he's trying to stay alive. She should be able to protect herself in a world like this. And she was going to learn how to do just that.


	21. Chapter 21

The next morning they woke up and Rose was still happy to see his face when she woke up. She wanted to see his face every morning, but she didn't want to need to. She was starting to rely on him too much and she began to think that maybe it was better before when they wanted each other but were still going back and forth.

"So, when are we gonna have training today?" She asked him.

"I gotta do something for Rick first." He said, "But after that we will."

"What does he need you to do?"

"Interrogate the kid."

"By interrogate you mean, beating the crap out of him?"

"Only if he doesn't tell us what we need to know."

"Daryl, I can't say I agree with that. He's just a kid."

"He's a danger to us."

"You guys do what you need to do, but I cannot support it this time. I'll see you after." She left the tent and went to help the women, minus Andrea, with breakfast. Daryl sat next to her at breakfast but they didn't really talk. She knew the guys felt that this was right, but she was never ok with people being beaten. She understood that Randall was a threat to the group, but she couldn't bring herself to feel that hurting him was necessary. She felt bad for him and a little bit guilty because she wasn't even going to try to stop them. And she knew the kid was in for it with Daryl. He could turn into a merciless person if necessary. And he felt that now it was necessary.

When they were done eating, Daryl pulled Rose aside before heading to the barn.

"What's up?" She asked him.

"I need to know that you're ok with this." He said.

"Of course I'm not. But I understand the need to keep the group safe."

"I'm not doing this for the group. I told you I would do anything to keep you safe. If his guys come looking for him and find us, there's no telling what they would do to you. I will kill them all before they get a chance to hurt you in anyway. I've lost the last of the family I had, I will not lose you too."

"Go, do what you feel is right. Just don't tell me anything about it when you're done." She kissed him on the cheek and walked away towards the camp area. Sometimes he scared her. The things he said he would do to keep her safe scared her. She would look up at the barn time and time again while he was in there. She wanted to know what was happening but it was better if she didn't. She didn't think she could be the same around him if she knew what he was doing to that poor kid.

She was interrupted from her thoughts by Lori talking.

"So, what you gonna do?" She asked Rick and Shane. "We'd all feel better if we knew the plan."

"Is there a plan?" Andrea asked.

"Are we gonna keep him here?" Glenn asked.

"Just keep beating him and sewing him back up?" Rose asked.

"We'll know soon enough." Rick answered. He nodded towards the barn and they all looked to see Daryl come walking up.

As he approached he looked at Rose but she quickly averted her gaze. She couldn't look at him right now. He wasn't her Daryl right now. His knuckles were bloody and she knew it wasn't his.

"The boy there has got a gang." He said to Rick. "Thirty men. They have heavy artillery and they ain't looking to make friends." He looked back at Rose and this time she did look at him but it made him feel worse. Even though she tried to hide it, he could still see the disappointment in her face. "If they roll through here, our boys are dead." He continued. "And our women, they, they're gonna wish they were."

"What did you do?" Carol asked.

"Had a little chat."

"No one goes near this guy." Rick

"Rick, what are you gonna do?" Lori asked him.

"We have no choice, he's a threat. We have to eliminate the threat."

"You're just gonna kill him?" Dale asked.

"It's settled, I'll do it today." Rick said with finality in his voice. He walked off and Dale immediately followed him.

Rose started to walk away and Daryl followed her.

"Rose, can you please stop and talk to me?" he asked her.

She stopped but did not turn around. "I really don't know if I can." She said.

"That group, they raped girls, in front of their father. You can't tell me I was wrong."

"I'm not saying that. But what has happened to people? They are heartless, merciless, they are barely humans anymore. They say they're doing what they need to do to survive, but that's a lie. And you," she said turning around to face him. "You say you will do anything to keep me safe, and that scares me. What will you do? Is there anything you won't do?"

"No," he said simply.

"I don't know if I want to have that on my hands. If you kill an innocent man because you think he could hurt me eventually, that blood is on my hands. I would live with that guilt forever." She walked up to him and put her hand on his face affectionately. "I love you Daryl, it's hard for me to say that without knowing if you feel the same, but I love you. But I don't want to live everyday knowing that I'm the reason people are dead."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I love you but I need to time to think."

"If you're gonna walk away then just do it already."

"I'm not gonna walk away from you."

"It sure sounds like it. I don't want to be what holds you here if you don't want to be here."

"You're not holding me here. I'm in this with you because I want to be."

"It doesn't sound like it right now."

"Stop trying to push me away."

"I'm only trying to help you do what you want to do."

"I just said I loved you three times and you didn't respond to it at all. I just gave you everything and you respond by pushing me away. Thank you for the help Daryl, because now, I am walking away. I don't know what this was between us, but it's over now. You don't have to protect me anymore." And she walked away from him. At least he kept his promise. He wasn't the one walking away. She was.

Each step was harder than the last, but it was what needed to be done. Either to tell her what she already knew, that the two of them could never be together or to tell him that he needed to learn that he couldn't treat everyone the same. That everyone was different and you shouldn't judge them from the group they hang out in. But all it did was prove to him that everyone walks away eventually.

Rose stayed at the camp area most of the day. Everyone did their own thing and left her alone. Until Dale approached her.

"What happened between you and Daryl?" Dale asked as he sat next to her.

"Good afternoon to you too Dale." She responded.

"I was just up there talking to him and he's gone back to apparently not caring about anything."

"That's just who he is. He doesn't care about what happens to people, as long as he can justify it."

"So you two aren't together anymore."

"I don't see what that matters."

"It doesn't I guess, you guys were just so happy together."

"Did you seriously come to talk to me about me and Daryl?"

"No, I came to talk about Randall."

"What about him?"

"Rick is giving me some time to talk to everyone and see what they think should be done. If enough people think we should let him live, then I think Rick will let him."

"So what did Daryl say?"

"Will it change your opinion?"

"No, I'm just curious."

"I'll tell you after you tell me what you think."

"I'm not sure, Dale. The kid was in a bad group. That doesn't necessarily mean he's a bad kid, just wrong place wrong time. But I'm afraid we're not seeing who he really is. He can tell us a sob story and make us believe he's innocent and then when we release him he can bring his group back here to kill us. We don't know anything about him. I don't care what happens to him, I just want him gone."

"Daryl said the same thing. You've lost your compassion. What kind of doctor can you be without compassion?"

"Do you see the world Dale? It's gone to hell. There is no compassion in hell. As for being a doctor, I'm not a doctor anymore. Titles are meaningless now. I'm just someone that can sew you up when your insides are becoming your outsides. Rick is no longer a sheriff. He's just someone with great leadership skills and a right mine to still do what needs to be done. Glenn is no longer a pizza boy, Andrea is no longer a lawyer. We are all just pawns in fates game now. We are all starting over with our lives."

"So you don't care if they kill him?"

"If you had asked me this morning, my answer would have been different. I'm sorry Dale."

"No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you've lost who you were." He got up and walked off to talk to the others.

Rose looked over and saw Carl by the graves. She got up and walked over to him and sat down.

"How are you doing buddy?" She asked him. He didn't reply. "I'm sorry we haven't done much doctoral lessons lately."

"It's fine, it wouldn't be the same without Sophia." He said. He kept looking at the ground sadly.

"What's on your mind?"

"Everyone treats me like a kid."

"Well, Carl, you are a kid."

"I know, but in this time, I have to grow up and become responsible. Be more like an adult, because I need to help protect the group. How can I do that when no one will let me?"

Rose put her arm around his shoulders and hugged him. "Well, maybe you should talk to them."

"They won't listen to me."

"They might listen to me though."

After a while, Carol walked up to them. "You know, we'll see Sophia in heaven again someday." She said. "She's in a better place."

Carl looked up at her with disbelief. "No she's not." He said. He stood up and started walking past Carol. "Heaven is just another lie. And if you believe it, you're an idiot."

"Carl!" Rose scolded. But he kept walking away. Rose stood up and put a hand on Carol's shoulder. "He's just upset. Everyone is treating him like a child lately and he can't stand it." Carol just nodded and Rose walked off. She noticed Rick talking sternly to Carl and walked over to them.

"Everything ok?" She asked.

"Yeah, just teaching him to think before he talks." Rick said.

"This have to do with what he said to Carol?"

"Yeah."

"Rose?" Carl asked, silently asking her to talk to his dad.

"Why don't you go do what your dad asked you to?" She said.

Carl hung his head and walked off.

"That boy doesn't think." Rick said.

"Yes he does." Rose said. "He thinks all the time, Rick. He thinks about the fact that in this world he needs to grow up and be responsible. We don't know when any of us are going to die. All he wants is to help protect the group. He wants to be treated like an adult, not like a kid. This world is not for kids, they won't survive. He knows that. Everything he's doing is just him trying to help. And all of you are ignoring it. I'm sorry if I'm stepping on your toes as a parent but this is what he told me."

"You know I value your opinion. What would you have me do? He's my twelve year old son."

"Stop treating him like he's twelve and let him know that he can help. Let him do something that shows he's not useless."

Rick thought about that. He had to think about a lot of things now. He was the leader of the group, the one that kept us safe, made the hard decisions. Rose went back to the camp area and saw Glenn there.

"Why you look so glum, Glenn?" She asked as she sat next to him.

"Hershel gave me his pocket watch, that he got from his father and his father before him." Glenn said.

"And that's bad?"

"I don't know. He likes me, he says I'm good enough for Maggie."

"I'm failing to see the down side to this."

"If something happens to her, what if he blames it on me?"

"Glenn, he won't. Unless you actually kill her, but if something happens to her that is out of our control, he would have no reason to blame you."

"Yeah, I guess."

"You still have that guitar?"

"Yeah, you wanna play it?" She nodded and he went to grab it for her. "What are you gonna play?" He asked as he handed it to her.

"A song that fits how I'm feeling." She said as she started strumming the chords to Whiskey by Jana Kramer.

"Can you sing the words?" She nodded again.

Everybody down in Houston calls him "Texas".  
Everybody way up North calls him "Cornbread".  
You shoulda heard the way that his momma called him "baby",  
Daddy called him "boy", his friends call him "crazy".

Shoulda just called it like I saw it.  
Shoulda just called for help and ran like hell that day.  
The burn and the sting, and the high, and the heat, and the "left-me-wanting-more" feeling when he kissed me.  
I shoulda just called him "Whiskey".

Warm my body to the core just like a blanket.  
His face was so sweet then he took my breath away.  
Hit me so hard like a rock through a window.  
I knew I was in trouble from the moment I met you, boy.

Shoulda just called it like I saw it.  
Shoulda just called for help and ran like hell that day.  
The burn and the sting, and the high, and the heat, and the "left-me-wanting-more" feeling when he kissed me.  
I shoulda just called him "Whiskey"

Now the numb has set in.  
He's gone like the wind.  
And I can barely feel the pain.

Shoulda just called it like I saw it.  
I shoulda just called for help and ran like hell that day.  
The burn and the sting, and the high, and the heat, and the "left-me-wanting-more" feeling when he kissed me.  
The burn and the sting, and the high, and the heat, and the "left-me-wanting-more" feeling when he kissed me.  
I shoulda just called him "Whiskey".  
Shoulda just called him "Whiskey".  
I shoulda just called him "Whiskey".

"That was not a happy song." Glenn stated.

"I didn't say it would be. I said it would fit my mood." She said as she set the guitar down. She looked up and saw Daryl looking at her. His facial expression made it apparent that he heard the song.

"What happened between you two?" Glenn asked, noticing the look they were giving each other.

"Nothing." Rose replied.

"What do you think about this whole Randall thing?" He asked, changing the subject.

"I don't want to change your opinion about it, Glenn."

"You won't. I just want to know where others stand on it."

"I don't care what they do with him, just as long as he's gone. Yes, he could be a threat, he could be innocent also. We don't know. We may never know. His group has done some horrible things and he may or may not have been a part of it. But if we let him go, no one knows for sure if he will go back to his group and lead them here. Sometimes, the right decision is the hardest. And maybe Shane is right this time. Come on, it's time to discuss what to do with him." She got up and headed to the house, Glenn followed.

"But I want to watch." Rose heard Carl say to his mom.

"Not this time." Lori said.

They gathered in the house and Rose ended up standing next to Daryl with her back to the other room. She glanced back and saw Carl sneak closer to hear. He stopped when Rose noticed him. She just put her finger to her lips and turned her attention to Rick. Before Rick could talk though, they noticed Carl and sent him away. Rose gave him a sad smile as he walked away.

"So, how do we do this? Just take a vote?" Glenn asked.

"Does it have to be unanimous?" Andrea asked.

"How about majority rules?" Lori suggested.

"Well let's just see where everybody stands." Rick said. "Then we can talk through the options."

"Well, where I sit," Shane started. "There's only one way to move forward."

"Killing him." Dale said "Right? I mean why even bother to take a vote? It's clear which way the winds blowing."

"Well if people believe we should spare him, I wanna know." Rick said.

"Well, I can tell you it's a small group. Maybe just me and Glenn."

Glenn looked up at Dale. "Look, I think you're pretty much right about everything. But this,"

"They've got you scared." Dale cut him off.

"He's not one of us." Rose said.

"And we've lost too many people already." Glenn added.

Dale turned to Maggie. "How about you, do you agree with this?" He asked.

"Couldn't we continue keeping him prisoner?" She suggested.

"Just another mouth to feed." Daryl said.

"It may be a lean winter." Hershel said.

"We could ration better." Lori suggested.

"He could be an asset." Dale said. "Give him a chance to prove himself."

"Put him to work." Glenn said.

"We're not letting him walk around" Rick said.

"We could put an escort on him." Maggie said.

"Who wants to volunteer for that duty?" Shane asked.

"I will." Dale said.

"I don't think any of us should be walking around with this guy." Rick said.

"He's right." Lori said. "I wouldn't feel safe unless he was tied up."

"We can't exactly put chains around his ankles and sentence him to hard labor." Andrea said.

"Look, say we let him join us, right." Shane said. "Maybe he's helpful, maybe he's nice. We let our guard down, and maybe he runs off and brings back his thirty men."

"So the answer is to kill him to prevent a crime that he may never even commit?" Dale asked. "If we do this, we're saying there's no hope. Rule of law is dead, there is no civilization."

"Could you drive him further out?" Hershel asked. "Leave him like you planned?"

"You barely came back this time." Lori said. "There are walkers, you could break down, you could get lost."

"Or get ambushed." Daryl said.

"Do you really want to risk it again?" Rose asked.

"They're right." Glenn said. "We should not put our own people at risk."

"If you go through with it," Patricia said. "How would you do it? Would he suffer?"

"We could hang him." Shane said. "Just snap his neck."

"I thought about that." Rick said. "Shooting may be more humane."

"What about the body?" T-Dog asked.

"Would we just bury him?" Rose asked.

"Hold on." Dale busted in. "You're talking about this like it's already decided."

"You've been talking all day." Daryl said. "Going around in circles, you just wanna go around in circles again?"

"This is a young man's life. And it is worth more than a five minute conversation. Is this what it's come to? We kill someone because we can't decide what else to do with him? You saved him, now look at us. He's been tortured, he's gonna be executed. How are we any better than those people that we're so afraid of?"

"We all know what needs to be done." Shane said.

"No, Dale is right." Rick said. "We can't leave any stone unturned here. We have a responsibility."

"So what's the other solution?" Andrea asked.

"Let Rick finish." Lori said.

"We haven't come up with a single viable option yet." Andrea continued. "I wish we could."

"So let's work on it." Dale shouted.

"Just stop fighting." Carol finally commented. "I'm sick of everyone fighting. I didn't ask for this. You can't ask us to decide something like this." She looked between Shane and Rick. "Please decide, either of you, both of you, but leave me out."

Dale looked at Carol. "Not speaking out, or killing him yourself, there's no difference."

"Yes there is." Rose said. "The difference is that Carol has a conscience and won't have the blood of that kid on her hands. Maybe the rest of you need to find your conscience, because I think you all lost yours."

"Alright, that is enough." Rick said. "Anyone who wants the floor before we make a final decision has the chance."

Everyone remained quiet for a while. No one wanted to say anything. That didn't last too long though as Dale was not done trying to convince everyone to spare the kids life.

"You once said, we don't kill the living." He said looking at Rick.

"That was before the living tried to kill us." Rick said.

"But don't you see, if we do this, the people that we were, the world that we knew, is dead. And this new world is ugly. It's harsh, it's survival of the fittest. That's a world that I don't want to live in. And I don't believe that any of you do. I can't. Let's just do what's right. Isn't there anybody else that's gonna stand with me?"

"He's right." Andrea said finally. "We should try to find another way."

"Anybody else?" Rick asked. No one said anything else. Rick turned and gave Dale a sympathetic look.

"Are y'all gonna watch too?" Dale asked sarcastically. "No, you'll go hide your heads in your tents and try to forget that we're slaughtering a human being. I won't be a party to it." He was walking out of the room before he stopped by Daryl. "This group is broken." Dale said to him and continued walking out of the room.

It was decided, at night Rick, Shane and Daryl would take Randall to the barn and take care of it. As the three men were leaving Daryl looked back at Rose and had a look on his face that looked like it said don't hate me. Rose could never hate that man.

She was sitting by the camp fire with everyone else when she noticed Carl walking towards the barn. She got up quickly and hurried after him. He was standing in the door way watching when she caught up to him.

"Do it dad." Carl said. "Do it."

"Carl," Rose said. "You shouldn't be up here."

Rick looked at Carl then at the other two men in the barn. Shane came walking up to Carl and grabbed him by the arm.

"Are you kidding me man? What did I say to you?" Shane was saying.

"Hey, I got him." Rose said, making Shane release his grip on Carl.

"Take him away." Rose heard Rick say. "Take him away."

Daryl looked pissed as he pulled the kid up and made him walk out of the barn. As he passed Rose he looked like he wanted to say something but thought better of it. Shane left with a huff as well.

"Rose could you leave me and Carl, please?" Rick asked. Rose just nodded and left.

Rose went back to the campfire and sat down. Shortly after Rick and Carl returned as well.

"We're keeping him in custody for now." Rick told the group.

"I'm gonna find Dale." Andrea said, obviously wanting to tell him the good news.

Rose walked off as well. She went and sat in the grass a little ways away in the dark. Out of the silence she heard someone yell. She jumped up and ran with the rest of the group towards the sound. When they arrived, Daryl had tackled a walker off of Dale but it was too late. Dale's stomach was torn open and bleeding out.

"Rose!" Rick yelled.

"I can't fix that." Rose said. "He's lost too much blood already."

Not liking that answer Rick sent for Hershel.

"What happened?" Hershel asked as he approached.

"What can we do?" Rick asked. "Can we move him?"

"He won't make the trip." Hershel said.

"You're gonna have to do the operation here."

"Rick!" Rose shouted. "We can't do anything."

"NO!" Rick shouted.

Dale was suffering. They had to do something to end it for him. Rick pulled out his gun and pointed it at Dale's head but could not pull the trigger. Daryl stepped forward and took Rick's gun. He knelt down and Dale moved closer the gun. "Sorry brother." Daryl said and pulled the trigger.

Rose went back to sitting in the dark alone. She wasn't close with Dale, but she was still extremely upset. She was leaning against a tree when Daryl sat down next to her. Rose didn't say anything. She waited for him to talk first.

"You said you love me, three times, and I didn't react. You're right. What did you want me to do? Say it back? I don't know what love feels like. How can I say it back when I don't know what it feels like?" Daryl said.

"I'm not mad that you didn't say it back, I'm mad that when I said it, not only did you not react but you didn't acknowledge it either, and you just continued to push me away. That's what you do, someone gets too close and you get scared. You push them away because you're scared to feel the same because you've never felt it before. I don't want you to say it if you don't feel it."

"You probably hate me now don't you?"

"Oh, Daryl, I could never hate you. I still love you, I will always love you. But I don't think we should be together. We tried it, it didn't work."

"What does it feel like? Love, when you love me, what does it feel like?"

Rose smiled. "Like every day is sunny, even when it's raining, like nothing in the world can go wrong, no matter what is going on, as long as you're around, everything is perfect, even when it isn't. And even though it doesn't work with us being together, I will still feel that way about you. Everything will be perfect as long as you're around, even if we aren't." She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the mouth and got up to leave. "Good night." She walked back to her tent and crawled into her sleeping bag alone.


	22. Chapter 22

The next day, Rose woke to a painful silence. Dale was gone. She would never be able to talk to him again or listen to the important views that he had. He was right the day before, about whether the group should kill Randall. Dale was the only one that could see how wrong it was. He still had his moral compass pointing north. Everyone else's was broken. Rose felt more lost than she ever did.

She also remembered ending things with Daryl too. Maybe it was a rash decision. Maybe she should have waited and they could have worked things out. But it was too late. She was just going to have to slide back into her old routine. Being on her own. Things worked out better that way. She lost sight of that when the world ended. She was so scared being alone that she thought she needed to be with someone. But she was stronger on her own, and now Daryl wouldn't have to waste any more time protecting her.

She got dressed and threw her hair into a messy bun and then emerged from her tent. Everyone was quiet. Today they were going to bury Dale.

"Dale could really get under your skin." Rick said as they all stood around Dale's grave. "He sure got under mine. Because he wasn't afraid to say exactly what he thought, how he felt. That kind of honesty is rare, and brave. Whenever I'd make a decision, I'd look at Dale. He'd be looking back at me with that look he had. We've all seen it one time or another. I couldn't always read him, but he could read us. He saw people for who they were. He knew things about us. The truth, who we really are. In the end, he was talking about losing our humanity. He said this group was broken. The best way to honor him is to un-break it. Set aside our differences and pull together, stop feeling sorry for ourselves, and take control of our lives, our safety, our future. We're not broken. We're gonna prove him wrong. From now on, we're gonna do it his way. That is how we honor Dale."

After the ceremony Daryl, Shane, T-Dog, and Andrea went to check all the fencing and make sure no more walkers were in the area. Rose sat next to Dale's grave while everyone dispersed. She thought back to her last talk with Dale.

"I'm sorry you've lost who you are." He had said to her.

She had told him compassion didn't exist anymore. But she was wrong. Dale was full of compassion. He cared about everyone in this group, no matter where they came from. She basically dissed all of his beliefs and values. If she had known that would be the last time they talked she would have said different things. But that's how it goes. You wish for the ability to change the past when you can't.

"What do you do when the one person who can make you feel better is the person who is gone?" She asked looking at Dale's grave. "You're the one I would go to for advice in this kind of situation. How are we all going to get past this? You're the glue that held everything together. You always had the best advice for everything. What would you say to me if you were still here?"

"He would tell you to fight for what you believe in. Fight for what you want. Do what you must, but still have your morals and conscience intact." She turned around and saw Rick standing behind her.

"What if you have no fight left in you?" She asked him.

"Then you don't want to live that badly."

"Or it's just better for you to not survive. Sometimes the end is better than the fight."

"Do you honestly believe that? I don't. The girl I woke up to in the hospital didn't either. Where is that girl? She was strong and fought for what she wanted."

"She got lost along the way."

"I think you need to find her. Get your strength back and never back down. Keep fighting for your right to survive. You have what it takes to survive this. You just don't see it."

"I fought for Daryl, but I can't fight for him anymore. It hurts too much and he resists every time. I'm giving him up like a bad addiction and I'm going to fight for me."

"Good girl. The group is back from their rounds. We should go make sure everything is alright."

"I'll be there in a minute." Rick went over to the truck where everyone was standing and Rose stayed by the graves for a few minutes more. She finally stood up and made her way over to the group.

"It'll be tight." She heard Rick say as she approached. She looked over in Daryl's direction to see him quickly look away. "Fourteen people in one house," Rick continued.

"Don't worry about that." Hershel said. "With the swamp hardening, the creek drying up,"

"With fifty head of cattle on the property," Maggie added. "We might as well be ringing the damn dinner bell."

"She's right." Hershel continued. "We should have moved you in a while ago."

"Alright," Rick started giving orders. "Let's move the vehicles near each of the doors, facing out towards the road. We'll build a lookout in the windmill and another in the barn loft. That should give us sightlines of both sides of the property. T-Dog you take the perimeter around the house. Keep track of everyone coming and going."

"What about standing guard?" Rose asked.

"I need T-Dog and Daryl on double duty."

Rose left the discussion and headed over to Lori and Beth to help move some of the stuff closer to the house.

"So, how are things with you and Daryl?" Lori asked as they were walking towards the house.

"Why do you ask?" Rose replied.

"I noticed things were tense between you two and you guys hardly speak to each other now."

"I expressed my feelings and he pushed me away. So I walked away. I knew it was never going to work anyway. But I promised a friend that when the world ended I would give love a chance. Turns out I was right about it all the time. Love is a waste of time."

"Maybe you just picked the wrong guy."

"It was kind of slim pickings here. I'm better alone anyway."

"Sometimes it just feels good to know that there is someone that cares about you and waits for you at the end of the day."

"I just don't think the end of the world is the best time to shop for guys, we're too busy trying to survive."

"Exactly, but we don't know how long we will survive. We need to make the most of the time we have."

They had reached the inside of the house by now. "The men are in that room. Women are in this room." Rose said changing the subject. "I'm gonna be over here." She put herself on the far side of the room away from the other women. She was by the doorway that led to where the men were.

Lori went outside to get more stuff but never came back in. Rose looked out the window and saw her by the windmill talking to Shane. "This group is never going to be fixed." She said to herself. She glanced over at the barn and saw Daryl setting up the look out at the barn. "And neither will I." She made her way back outside to help with the rest of the stuff. She walked over to where T-Dog and Daryl were talking.

"You going out with Rick to release Randall?" She asked Daryl. He just nodded, not saying a word. "Be careful?" She asked. He made no acknowledgement. She looked up at T-Dog but he just looked away. Obviously he wasn't going to try to help her. "You can't just ignore me forever." She said back to Daryl.

"Watch me." He said.

"Daryl, I didn't do anything wrong. Why are you so pissed at me?"

"You left me. Remember? So why are you still trying to fix what is never going to be?"

"Ready?" Rick asked as he walked up. He obviously didn't hear what was just said but he saw the looks on their faces.

"Yeah," Daryl said still looking at Rose. He then just turned around and got into the truck while T-Dog went to get Randall.

"You ok?" Rick asked Rose.

"Yeah, of course I am." She replied. T-Dog came rushing back towards them.

"He's gone." He said.

"What do you mean he's gone?" Rick asked. Daryl must have heard because he jumped out of the truck and followed as Rick, Rose and T-Dog went up to the barn.

Sure enough, when they got there, Randall was nowhere to be seen.

"The door was locked when you got here?" Rose asked T-Dog.

"Yeah, so were the handcuffs." He replied.

"How did he get out?" Rose asked to no one in particular.

Everyone was freaking out. There was no telling what this kid would do. If he brought his group back, they were screwed.

"Rick!" They looked over and saw Shane coming out of the woods. His face was all bloodied up.

"What happened?" Lori asked.

"He's armed!" Shane shouted. "He's got my gun."

"Are you ok?" Carl asked.

"I'm fine, little bastard just snuck up on me. He clocked me in the face."

"Alright," Rick said. "Hershel, T-Dog, get everybody back in the house. Glenn, Daryl come with us.

"Just let him go." Carol said. "That was the plan, just cut him loose."

"The plan was to let him go far away from here." Rick said. "Not on our front step with a gun."

"I'm coming with you." Rose said.

"No," Rick started.

"I know how to shoot, I can use blunt weapons. I will be fine. I can take care of myself now. I don't want to sit here and be useless."

Rick didn't want to sit there and argue so he agreed. She grabbed a gun and headed out with them. They got to an area in the woods and Shane pointed off in a direction.

"I saw him go that way before I blacked out." Shane said.

"Can you track him?" Rick asked Daryl.

"No, I don't see anything." Daryl replied.

"Look, there's no sense in tracking him, I saw him go that way." Shane said agitated. "We just need to split up and chase him down."

"The kid ways a buck-twenty-five soaking wet, you telling us he got the jump on you." Daryl said.

"I think a rock pretty much evens that out."

"Ok, that's enough." Rick interrupted. "Daryl, you, Glenn, and Rose head up that way. Me and Shane will head this way. Remember, Randall's not the only threat out here."

They were walking in silence for a while until Daryl got impatient. "This is pointless, any of you got a light?" He asked.

Glenn handed him a flashlight and Daryl used it to start looking around for signs.

"Just come one." He finally said with an irritated sigh. Rose knew that her being there was not helping his mood about this at all. She decided to remain quiet so as not to anger him more. She silently followed the two men through the woods. They wound up back where they began.

"We're just back to square one." Glenn said.

"If you're gonna do a thing," Daryl said. "You might as well do it right."

Smart idea, Rose thought. Start tracking at the beginning. Daryl looked around the area for a little bit and then found clues.

"There's two sets of tracks right here." He said shining the light at them. "Shane must have followed him a lot longer than he said." He shined the light up a little at a tree. "There's fresh blood on this tree. There's more tracks. Looks like their walking in tandem."

"You think Shane is lying?" Rose asked him.

"Looks like it." He replied still looking at the ground. "There's a little dust up right here."

"What do you mean?" Glenn asked.

"I mean something went down." Daryl said. "Had a little trouble."

Glenn leaned over and picked up what looked like Randall's blindfold. Then they heard something approaching in the woods. Out of reflex Rose stood behind Daryl, as soon as she realized it though, she immediately took a couple steps away from him. She hid behind a tree with Glenn while Daryl took his own tree. He tossed the flashlight to Glenn and readied his crossbow.

Glenn stepped out from the tree and was met immediately by Randall who was now a walker. Rose froze. She thought she would be able to handle it. She thought she was ready. Maybe she wasn't. It threw Glenn to the ground and Daryl missed it with an arrow. It turned and tackled Daryl to the ground. At that sight, Rose picked up the knife that Glenn dropped and stabbed it in the brain.

"Nice," Daryl said. And it sounded like he actually meant it.

"Now we're even." She said to him.

"Oh, we aren't even close to even." He said while pulling the knife out and handing it back to Glenn. He was right. He saved her way more than just once.

Daryl leaned down and started inspecting the body. "Rose, come here." He said.

"What's up?" She asked as she knelt down next to the body as well.

"Look at his neck."

"It's broken. Walkers could do that."

"You see any bite marks on him?"

She looked at the rest of his body. Not a single walker mark on him. "He's got no bites." She said when she was done.

"Yeah, none you can see." Glenn said.

"No, I can tell you for certain," Rose said. "He died from his neck being broken."

"How's that possible?" Glenn asked.

"I don't know." Daryl said. "But we should fine Rick and Shane, if Shane just killed Randall then we know that Rick is not safe with him."

"We don't know where they are though." Rose said. "They could be out in the woods, they could be back at the farm. Maybe we should just head back and wait for them."

"Them?" Daryl asked. "We know only one of them is coming back."

They headed back to the farm, they were almost there when they heard a gun-shot.

"Should we follow it?" Rose asked.

"No, that sound is going to draw every walker around to its location. We keep moving to the farm, we need to be there in case any walkers find their way there."


	23. Chapter 23

The three of them returned to the farm with no trouble. They had heard the gun-shot and were afraid that it would attract walkers, since they seemed much more active at night. There were none when they came back to the property. They walked up to the house and entered to find everyone sitting in the living room. They looked around and noticed there were still two missing.

"Rick and Shane ain't back?" Daryl asked.

"No," Lori said.

"We heard a shot." Rose said.

"Maybe they found Randall." Lori suggested.

"We found him." Daryl said.

"Is he back in the shed?" Maggie asked.

"He was a walker." Daryl answered.

"Did you find the walker that bit him?" Hershel asked.

"No," Rose answered.

"The weird thing is, he wasn't bit." Glenn said.

"His neck was broke." Rose continued.

"So he fought back." Patricia said.

"The thing is, Shane and Randall's tracks were right on top of each other." Daryl said. "And Shane ain't no tracker, so he didn't come up behind him. They were together."

"Would you please get back out there and find Rick and Shane and find out what on earth is going on?" Lori asked.

"You got it." Daryl said.

"I'm coming with you." Rose said. "No one should be out in the dark by themselves." Daryl didn't argue. It seemed that he was just not acknowledging her at all. So she silently followed him.

As soon as they walked out the door though, their plans changed. They looked out on the hundreds of walkers that were coming towards the farm.

"We can't fight them all." Rose said.

Andrea and Glenn came out on the porch as well and saw the mess that was about to arrive. Soon the others and joined as well.

"Patricia, kill the lights." Hershel whispered.

"I'll get the guns." Andrea said as she headed inside.

"Maybe they're just passing, like the herd on the highway." Glenn said. "Should we just go inside?"

"Not unless there's a tunnel downstairs I don't know about." Daryl said. "A herd that size would rip the house down.

"Carl's gone." Lori said as she came rushing out of the house.

"What?" Rose asked.

"He was upstairs, I can't find him anymore." Lori answered.

"Maybe he's hiding?" Glenn suggested.

"He's supposed to be upstairs." Lori said. "I'm not leaving without my boy."

"We won't." Carol said. "We're gonna look again, we're gonna find him." The two of them went back into the house.

"You think he went out to find Rick?" Rose asked. "He tends to follow him around a lot." Her question went unanswered. It was a huge possibility. But no one wanted to agree to it.

Andrea came out with the guns and everyone started grabbing one, Rose included. Maggie grabbed one and handed one to Glenn.

"Maggie?" Glenn asked apparently he didn't know she knew how to handle a gun.

"You grow up country you pick up a thing or two." Maggie said.

"I got the number, it's no use." Daryl said.

"You can go if you want." Hershel said.

"You gonna take them all on?" Rose asked.

"We got cars, we got guns." Hershel said.

"Kill as many as we can." Andrea said. "And we'll use the cars to lead the rest of them off the farm."

"Are you serious?" Daryl asked. Apparently he thought it was a stupid plan.

"This is my farm. I'll die here." Hershel said.

"Alright, it's as good a night as any." Daryl said as he hopped over the railing and on to the ground.

Rose wanted to go with him but she knew that would only aggravate him. She wanted to say something to him as well, seeing as they might die tonight. But it would do no good. It was time to let him go completely. So she shouldered the gun and walked down the steps and prepared to give it her all to protect these people that have protected her for so long.

"Rose," she heard someone call her name. She looked over and saw it was Daryl, he was on his bike and getting ready to start it.

"What?" She asked.

"Get on, I'll drive you shoot." He didn't give her much time to decide. He started the bike and she hopped on. When it came to saving the group, they had to put aside their problems.

Others had piled in to vehicles and were doing the same. Daryl drove by the barn.

"Why is it on fire?" Rose asked.

He didn't answer. He drove up to the RV that was being driven by the young boy from Hershel's group.

"It must have been Rick or Shane that started that fire. They might be trying to get out back, why don't you circle around." Daryl said to the boy and drove off.

Rose wasn't expecting him to take off that fast and ended up falling off. He must not have noticed because he kept driving. She looked around and saw the women heading towards the red truck. She shot and ran as she made her way towards them. When she got closer she saw that walkers had grabbed Patricia and Beth was holding on. Rose aimed and shot Patricia in the head.

"No!" Beth cried out.

Rose got up to them and Beth tried to hit her. Lori grabbed her before she could. "She would not have wanted to live through that." Rose said.

Carol got scared and ran off to get cornered by walkers. T-Dog and Andrea pulled up in the blue truck.

"Get in." Andrea said. "Where's Carol?"

"She went that way." Lori said pointing in the direction she went. Lori and Beth got in the front seat while Rose got in the bed so she could keep shooting the walkers. Andrea rushed over to try to save Carol. They watched from the truck as Andrea was taken down by a walker. T-Dog put the truck in gear and took off. Rose was in the back shooting and looking for the others. She couldn't find anyone of them in the hoard of walkers.

They were driving for a while. Night turned into day and they kept going. Rose could tell from the sun that they were going east. She would prefer if they headed back to the highway, but she was not in the position to be making decisions. T-Dog was driving and they would go where he went.

All of a sudden Rose heard the passenger side door open and the truck pull to a stop.

"You turn around, or you let us out right now." Lori said.

"Whoa, what's going on?" Rose asked as she poked her head around to the open door.

"We want to go back to the highway, that's where everyone will be going. T-Dog wants to go to the coast. What do you think?" Lori said to her.

Rose looked at Lori then Beth then T-Dog. "I think the highway is a good idea. If anyone else made it out then that's where they will be."

Lori shut the door and T-Dog turned the truck around and headed to the highway. They finally saw the back of what looked like Maggie's car and in front was Daryl and Carol on the motorcycle. They followed them back to the highway to meet the others.

Rose hopped out of the back of the truck and saw as everyone ran to their other family. She watched as they all had someone to reunite with. She stayed by the truck and leaned up against it. She looked over and saw Daryl quickly look away from her. While she was looking away she felt herself being engulfed in a hug. She turned and noticed it was Rick. He let go and looked at her and then walked back to Lori and Carl.

"Where'd you find everyone?" Rick asked Daryl.

"Well, those guys' taillights were all over the road." Daryl said. "Figured he had to be Asian to be driving like that."

"Good one." Glenn said.

"Where's the rest of us?" Daryl asked.

"We're the only ones that made it so far." Rick said.

"Shane?" Lori asked

Rick just shook his head.

"Andrea?" Glenn asked.

"She saved me and then I lost her." Carol said.

"We saw her go down." T-Dog said.

"Patricia?" Hershel asked.

"Rose shot her." Beth said. She couldn't talk anymore, she buried her head into Hershel's chest.

Hershel looked at Rose for an answer.

"She was being eaten by walkers. I figured she wouldn't want to live through that." Rose explained. Hershel just nodded and turned back to his daughters.

"What about Jimmy, did you see Jimmy?" Beth asked.

"He was in the RV." Rick said. "It got overrun."

"You definitely saw Andrea?" Carol asked

"There were walkers everywhere." Lori said.

"Did you see her?" Carol asked again.

"I'm gonna go back." Daryl said as he started to get on his bike.

"No." Rick said, stopping him.

"We can't just leave her." Daryl argued.

"We don't even know if she's there." Lori said.

"She isn't there. She isn't." Rick said. "She's somewhere else, or she's dead. There's no way to find her."

"So we're not even gonna look for her?" Glenn asked.

"We gotta keep moving." Rick said. "There have been walkers crawling all over here."

"I say head east." T-Dog said.

"Stay off the main roads." Daryl said. "The bigger the roads, the more walkers. More assholes like this one." He said as he noticed a walker walking towards them. "I got him." He got his crossbow and shot it in the head.

They loaded up in the red truck, Maggie's car and Daryl's bike and headed off. They were driving for quite a while when Rick's truck honked. They all stopped and Rose climbed out of Maggie's car to see what was wrong. Everyone else piled out as well.

"You out?" Daryl asked.

"Been riding on fumes." Rick answered.

"We can't stay here." Maggie said.

"We can't all fit in one car." Glenn said.

"We'll have to make a run for more gas in the morning." Rick said.

"Spend the night here?" Carol asked.

"I'm freezing." Carl said. Rose pulled off her jacket and put it around Carl. She had a long sleeve shirt on so she would be fine.

"We'll build a fire." Lori suggested.

"If you go out looking for firewood be careful. I only got so many arrows." Daryl said. "How you doing on ammo?"

"Not enough." Rick replied.

"We can't just sit here with our asses hanging out." Maggie said.

"Watch your mouth." Hershel said to her. "Everyone stop panicking and listen to Rick."

"Alright, we set up a perimeter." Rick started giving orders. "In the morning we'll find gas and supplies. We'll keep pushing on."

"Glenn and I can make a run now." Maggie said.

"No we stay together." Rick said. "God forbid something happens and people get stranded without a car."

"Rick, we're stranded now." Rose said.

"I know it looks bad," He said. "We've all been through hell and worse, but at least we found each other. I wasn't sure, I really wasn't but we did. We're together. We keep it that way. We'll find shelter, there's gotta be a place."

"Rick look around." Glenn said. "There's walkers everywhere, they're migrating or something."

"There's gotta be a place, not just where we hole up." Rick said. "But where we fortify, hunker down, pull ourselves together, and build a life for each other. I know it's out there, we just have to find it."

"Even if we do find a place," Maggie said. "And we think it's safe, we can never be sure for how long. Look what happened to the farm. We fooled ourselves into thinking that was safe."

"We won't make that mistake again." Hershel said.

Rick looked over to where there was a stone bridge. "We'll make camp over there. Get on the road at the break of day."

"Does this feel right to you?" Carol asked Daryl.

"What if walkers come through or another group like Randall's?" Beth asked.

"You know I found Randall, right?" Daryl asked Rick. "He turned, but he wasn't bit."

"How is that possible?" Beth asked.

"Rick, what the hell happened?" Lori asked.

"Shane killed Randall. Just like he always wanted to." Daryl said.

"And then the herd got him?" Lori asked.

"I don't think this should be our focus right now." Rose interrupted. "We need to focus on setting up camp and living through the night." No one said anything. They all continued looking at Rick for answers.

"We're all infected." He said after a while. They all looked at him in disbelief.

"What?" Daryl asked.

"At the CDC, Jenner told me. Whatever it is, we all carry it."

"Can that be possible?" Lori asked Rose.

"Yes, there are a lot of diseases actually that can do that. You can be a carrier of it but never know."

"And you never said anything?" Carol accused of Rick.

"Would it have really made a difference?" Rose asked the group.

"You knew this whole time?" Glenn said to Rick.

"How could I have known for sure?" Rick said.

"That is not your call." Glenn said. "When I found out about the walkers in the barn, I told for the good of everyone."

"Well I thought it best that people didn't know." Rick said. He walked away towards the bridge.

Rose turned to the group. "He made a decision. It is his decisions that have kept us alive this whole time. We need to stop accusing him and start trusting him. If any of you have any better ideas then let's hear it."

T-Dog started to say something about the heading to the coast again.

"We need fuel, you have any hidden somewhere? I didn't think so. So we do as Rick says. We set up camp tonight and we head out in the morning." She turned and walked over to Rick. "Hey," She said as she approached him. "Look, I don't care what happened. I don't need to know. I trust you Rick. I have since that day in the hospital. I will be behind you one hundred percent."

"Thanks Rose." He said. Lori started walking up so Rose walked away to give them time to talk. Not too long after Lori came walking back looking very upset.

"Lori, what's wrong?" Rose asked her.

Lori looked at her, trying to decide if she should tell her. "Rick killed Shane." She finally said. Lori told Rose everything that Rick had just said.

"Well, how can you be mad at him? It was self-defense. If Rick didn't kill Shane then Shane would have killed Rick. And then where would we be? Probably dead already." Rose said. "I'm sorry Lori, but I have to side with Rick on that."

"Yeah, of course you do." Lori said and then walked away.

Night rolled around and they had a small fire going. Everyone was gathered around and not really talking.

"Here Rose," Carl said holding out her jacket that she had given him earlier. "I don't need it with the fire now. Thank you"

"No problem Carl. You need to be warm more than I do." She took it and set it next to her.

"We're not safe with him." She heard Carol whisper to Daryl. "Keeping something like that from us. Why do you need him? He's just gonna pull you down."

"No," Daryl said. "Rick's done alright by me."

"You're his henchman." She said. "And I'm a burden. You deserve better."

"What do you want?" Daryl asked.

"A man of honor."

"Rick has honor."

"I think we should take our chances." Maggie said across the way.

Before anyone could say anything Rose stood up and walked away from the group. They were basically trying to start a mutiny. She wasn't sure if any of them noticed her walk away.

There was a rustling in the bushes. It startled the group and they all began arguing. Rose could hear it all but she was not going back to that. She could hear Rick explain everything to them and then tell them to fend for themselves if they thought they could do better. Rose ignored all of it and headed to find out what the rustling in the bushes was.

She was in the trees now, not a safe place to be but it was quieter than the campsite. She was just about to head back when there was a gun placed against her back. She let out a small scream. Not because she was scared, but because she knew the others would hear her.

Sure enough her group came rushing to her. They had all their guns pointed at the person threatening her.

"Put the gun down." Rick ordered.

Seeing that they were outnumbered, the person lowered the gun and Rose spun around and stepped away. When she looked at the man she couldn't believe it. He was still decked out in military clothes. Wielding his rifle and other miscellaneous weapons he must have found along the way.

"Sergeant Lloyd?" She asked surprised.

"Dr. Carmichael?" He asked, sounding just as surprised.

"You know him?" Rick asked.

"If it wasn't for Sergeant Lloyd you and I would have never made it out of the hospital." Rose explained. "We would be dead, or turned into a walker."

"I guess we owe you." Rick said. "You need a place to stay for the night?"

"We don't know if we can trust him." T-Dog said.

"He saved our lives before." Rose said. "Of course we can trust him."

"Having a trained fighter in the group wouldn't be too bad." Rick said. "It's settled. You can come with us."

They all sat down around the campfire again. Sergeant Lloyd sat next to Rose.

"Dr. Carmichael," He started.

"We aren't in a hospital, you can just call me Rose." She said.

"Rose, I'm Jared."

"Nice to meet you."

"I wasn't sure if you had gotten out of the hospital or not. I wanted to go back to make sure but,"

"You had your orders. Rick and I got stuck in a tank and found a dead soldier in there. I thought it was you until I looked at the nametag." She looked up at him. "I'm so glad you're alive."

"Same to you." He said looking back at her.

There was some obvious loud noise being made and Rose turned to look and saw Daryl making the noise. She saw the glare he sent towards Jared before he noticed her looking and looked away. She turned her attention back to Jared.

"I'm gonna get some sleep. Goodnight." She said and got up and went to the corner of the camp area and fell asleep.

She had no idea what was going to happen tomorrow. Whether she would live or die. All she knew right now was that the group was heading down hill and there seemed like there was nothing she could do about it. Everyone was turning against others. She had the thought to leave in the middle of the night, but something held her back. She didn't know what it was, but there was something here that she couldn't leave behind.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: **I know some of you are upset about the fact that I have been taking a long time to update my story, and I am very sorry about the delay. I had surgery and then my work schedule changed so my days off have changed and I even get called in on my days off. I promise to never let it happen again. I will do my very best to keep updating weekly. So without further ado, here is chapter 24.

Winter came, the group moved from place to place every day. It got colder day by day but they did the best they could to warm each other up. They had fires every night but had to keep them small so as not to attract walkers.

They had decided to let Jared stay with the group. Daryl was the only one that had a problem with it but never said why. Lori's stomach grew larger as the baby grew inside of her. Rose was worried about the baby. They didn't have much to eat as it was. Animals were hibernating so they couldn't rely on much of that either. She kept checking Lori once a week to make sure she was progressing normally.

Jared spent a lot of his time with Rose. He taught her more about self-defense and using weapons. She was getting quite good at it too. She had noticed some other kind of attention he was giving her but chose to ignore it. How could she try to start something with someone when she was still getting over someone else? She gave up Daryl, but he was still there every day reminding her of the good times and the bad.

Carl was growing up quite fast. He was getting better at using guns and killing walkers. Much to Lori's dismay, Carl was becoming a member of the group that was in the middle of the danger, killing walkers and protecting the group.

It felt like summer took too long to get there. But it did come eventually. The weather warmed up and the days grew longer. The birds came out along with all the other animals. The trees turned green again and the flowers began to bloom. Rose loved the spring and summer. The warmth and the light made her wake up with a smile on her face every morning.

Still they moved on every day, hoping to find a safe place. Things in the group were still strained and maybe even getting worse. But Rose stuck by Rick just like she promised. She trusted him to get them through this. When everyone complained about their situation, Rose would go up to Rick alone and remind him that he was doing the best he could and that he was the reason they were all still alive.

On one sunny day they were making their way again towards the unknown safe haven that Rick believed in. They came to an abandoned white house. Rick, Carl, Daryl and T-Dog went in first to clear the house. Rose and Jared stayed outside with the rest of the group in case any walkers came from the outside.

Once the house was clear the rest of the group entered. They were going to stay there for the night and move on the next morning. As Rose walked in she noticed Carl searching the kitchen for any remnants of food and Daryl was plucking an owl. She went into the living room with the rest of the group to set everything up for the night. They took some food out for Lori to eat and the others just had a little snack.

Carl came out of the kitchen holding two cans of dog food. Rose groaned. That was not something she ever thought she would eat. And she probably still wouldn't eat it now. Jared sat down next to her quietly. Carl grabbed the can opener and started opening the cans. Everyone looked at the cans with self-disappointment. They also never thought it would come to the point of eating dog food.

Rick walked into the room then and saw what Carl was doing. He quickly walked over and grabbed the can, took one look at it and chucked it into the fire place. Apparently he wasn't going to let the group get to the point of eating dog food. Rose was very happy for that. They were losing their humanity enough as it was, they didn't need to go that far.

Everyone was quiet for a bit. It had been like this for most of winter. When everyone started losing hope they became quiet and talked less. They just survived with each other. Friendships they had made seemed non-existent.

"I think Rick is losing it." Rose heard Jared whisper next to her so that no one else could hear.

"He is not losing it." Rose argued. "It's just gotta be hard for him to lead the group. Think if all that pressure was on you."

"I would be fine under all that pressure."

"Ok, well yeah, you're a soldier. You're used to it. Rick isn't. Yeah he was a sheriff but that's completely different."

"So maybe it's time for a new leader. I'm sure no one would mind."

"I would mind. I trust Rick. He will pull us through to safety."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Then I will die knowing I was loyal to my friend through to the end."

"Rose, I know you want to trust Rick to keep you safe, but he thinks primarily of him and his wife and son and unborn child. You are not his first priority."

"I understand that. Which is why I have learned how to keep myself safe."

"You need someone that can protect you and keep you safe. Someone who makes you their first priority."

"Yeah, me."

"No, I was talking about me."

Rose looked up at him and then her attention went to Daryl. He was looking at Jared again with what looked like hatred. He must have heard their conversation. She looked back at Jared.

"Jared," She got cut off by T-Dog signaling the others that walkers were approaching. Just when they were settled in for the night they had to pack it up and move out quickly. They grabbed all their stuff and left through the back door. They loaded up into their vehicles and sped off.

Once they were well away from the house they stopped the cars and got out to re-group and decide where to go next. Rick put Carl on point and came to talk to the group.

"We got no place left to go." T-Dog said as he rolled out a road map.

"When this herd meets up with this one, we'll be cut off." Maggie chimed in talking about another herd they ran into. "We'll never make it south."

"What would you say?" Daryl asked. "That was about 150 head?" He said estimating how many walkers were in the last herd.

"That was last week." Glenn said.

"It could be twice that now." Rose guessed.

"This river could have delayed them." Hershel said pointing to the map. "If we move fast, we might have a chance to tear right through there."

"Yeah, but if this group joins with this one they could spill out this way." T-Dog said.

It was always getting harder trying to figure out where to go. More and more walkers came around and soon they would be overwhelmed.

"So, basically, we're blocked?" Rose asked. Jared put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. It only made Daryl glare more and Rose shook it off.

"The only thing we could do is double back to 27 and swing toward Greenville." Rick said.

"We picked through that already." T-Dog said getting frustrated. "It's like we spent all winter going in circles."

"Yeah, I know." Rick said. "At Newnan we'll push west. We haven't been through there yet. We can't keep going house to house. We need to find a place to hole up for a few weeks."

"Alright, is it cool if we get to the creek before we head out?" T-Dog asked. "It won't take too long. We need to fill up water. We can boil it later."

"Knock yourself out." Rick said.

The group split. Some went to get water, others just hung out and rested. Hershel and Rick hung back to talk.

"Hey," Daryl said to Rick. "While the others go wash their panties, let's go hunt. That owl didn't exactly hit the spot."

Rose was standing by the car looking at Daryl getting his crossbow ready to hunt. It was always something she liked watching him do when he didn't notice. Make the arrows, clean the crossbow, he was just so country boy. And it always made her want him. She heard someone say her name but she toned it out. She was lost in her gaze at Daryl.

"Rose?" The person said again.

"Huh?" She turned to see Jared was trying to talk to her. "Oh, what's up?"

"I was wanting to finish talking about what we started at the house earlier."

"Oh," She turned back to see that Daryl was once again watching them. But he shouldered his crossbow and left with Rick without a word.

"What is up with the two of you?" Jared asked. Rose looked back up at him.

"What do you mean?"

"All winter you two have been shooting glances at each other when the other isn't looking. Sometimes when I try to talk to you, you're dazed out looking at him."

"Nothing is up with us. I don't know what you're talking about."

"He's no good for you Rose."

"I know that. Believe me I know that."

"But something did happen?"

"It's no big deal. It didn't work and it's for the better."

"Good. Because you deserve better. You deserve,"

"You?" She cut him off. "You said the same thing this morning."

"Yes, I could protect you. I'm trained."

"But that's why I learned how to protect myself. So that I wouldn't have to rely on anyone else."

"So we could help each other. We could keep each other safe."

"Before all this crap happened, I was devoted to my job. Maybe a little too much, because I never had time to date or find someone. When the world ended I thought well now I have time and I tried it. It sucked. So I'm not really looking for something."

"You never look for it, it just happens. And I believe it's happening right now." He gently placed her face in his hands and made her look at him. "You're amazing Rose, you really are. You're beautiful, and smart. And everything I want. I will stay here and wait until you are ready to accept the inevitable."

Rick and Daryl came back then and Daryl stopped and looked at Rose and Jared. It must have looked like they were going to kiss and Daryl looked pissed. Rose took Jared's hand in hers and pulled it from her face.

"You're a great guy Jared, a gentleman, a genuine gentleman. Someone that would treat me right and give me everything I want."

"I would." He said with a smile. He thought she was giving in.

"You're the kind of guy that I need." She glanced at Daryl who was obviously listening and then back to Jared. "But you're not the guy that I want." Jared's face fell. "I'm sorry." She dropped his hand. She looked back over at Daryl who for a split second shot a smug look at Jared.

Jared noticed where she was looking and got mad.

"You want that hillbilly?" He said angrily. Daryl got mad at that remark

"He's not a hillbilly." Rose said.

"You wanna call me that again to my face?" Daryl said marching up to Jared.

"Guys, stop." Rose said trying to not make a scene. They ignored her.

"Yeah, I have no problem with that, hillbilly." Jared said to Daryl.

Daryl shoved him. "I ain't no hillbilly." He said.

"You sure talk like one." Jared said shoving Daryl back. "You're a down in the mud hillbilly who doesn't deserve a woman like Rose."

"Guys, don't make this about me." Rose said. "Just stop please." She begged. But of course they kept going at it.

"And you do?" Daryl asked shoving Jared harder.

"Yeah, I do. I'm an upstanding guy." Jared shoved Daryl hard enough to make him stumble back. "You're just a nobody."

That was when Daryl threw the first punch. He hit Jared square in the jaw. They started a full on fight then and Rose was still trying to break it up. She didn't know who did it and she didn't really care, but one of them swung out and accidently shoved her too hard which threw her hard to the cement road. She landed on her left side and scraped up her forearm up to her elbow and some up to her shoulder, there was also a little scraping on her temple.

Both the men realized it and they stopped immediately and ran to her aid.

"Rose, are you ok?" Jared asked.

"Why did you have to hit her?" Daryl said angrily to Jared.

"I didn't hit her. You did." Jared argued.

"No that was all you."

"Guys stop." Rose said loudly to keep them from going at it again. "Just stop fighting over me. It's not attractive." She sighed and sat up. "Right now, the bottom line is that I don't want any of you. Not if this is how you're going to act." She stood up.

"But later, when everything cools down we can talk." Jared said.

"Stop being so damn hopeful. Just stop acting like my abusive ex and trying to pressure me into doing what I don't want to do." Jared shut up at those words.

"Rose," Daryl tried to start.

"No, Daryl, just no, don't talk don't say anything. There is too much damage between us right now. And with what just happened, it cannot be fixed right now." She turned around and noticed the others watching the scene. "So, what now?" She asked as if nothing had happened.

"How is your arm?" Hershel asked.

"I'm fine, just a little scrapes here and there." She said and then looked at Rick. "Where now?"

"Uh, Daryl and I found a place." Rick said.

"Great let's go."

And off they went ignoring what just happened.

Rick led them to the prison.

"This is where we are going?" Lori asked.

"You gotta admit it's pretty secure." Rose said. "And ironic. You spend your life trying to never get in and now it's the one place we want to be."

When they approached they made a circle and kept Lori and the younger ones in the middle while they fought off walkers and snapped the fence to get in. When they all got in Daryl and Rick closed the fence and kept it together with red cable.

They hurried along the outer walkway that guards probably used to patrol and came up to the fence gate.

"It's perfect." Rick said looking further into the prison. "If we could shut that gate inside and prevent more from filling the yard, we can pick off these walkers. We'll take the field by tonight."

"So how do we shut the gate?" Hershel asked.

"I'll do it." Glenn said. "You guys cover me."

"No, it's a suicide run." Maggie said.

"I'm the fastest." Glenn said.

"No," Rick said. "You, Maggie and Beth draw as many as you can over there." He said pointing over towards the other side. "Pop them through the fence. Daryl, you go to the other tower. Carol, Rose, you two have become pretty good shots. Take your time, we don't have a lot of ammo to waste. Go with Daryl." Rose groaned quietly. "Hershel, you, Jared and Carl take this tower. I'll run for the gate."

Everyone split up to their separate jobs. Rick grabbed some clips to close the gate on the inside. And they started. Rose, Daryl and Carol got up to the tower ready to cover Rick. Once the close was clear the plan was set into motion. Rick made the run and everyone covered him. At one point Carol shot too close and almost hit Rick. He made it to the gate and closed it up and then made his way into the tower before the walkers started to swarm by the door.

"He made it." Carol said.

"Of course he did." Rose said.

"Light it up." Daryl shouted to the others and they all began taking out the rest of the walkers.

Rick shot the last one down and they all made their way into the fields with smiles on their faces. Carol seemed to be the happiest one of them.

"We haven't had this much space since we left the farm." She said laughing as she ran into the field.

The got the vehicles into the outer fence area and set up for the night. As it got dark they were able to light a fire without having to worry about attracting walkers for once. It all felt good. Daryl was doing a watch by the gate and Rick was patrolling the perimeter looking for holes or any place that needed to be reinforced.

"Tomorrow we'll pull all the bodies together." T-Dog said. "We wanna keep them away from the water. Now if we could dig a canal under the fence we'll have plenty of fresh water"

"And this soil is good." Hershel said. "We could plant some fresh seed. Grow some tomatoes, cucumbers, soy beans."

"Rose?" Jared asked as he sat next to her.

"What?" She asked him. She was still upset about what happened earlier.

"I wanted to apologize. It was wrong of me to do what I did and to try to force you to do something you didn't want to do. I understand it's hard for you to get over that idiot, but just so you know, when you do, I'll be here. I'll wait for you."

"I wish you would stop talking about him like that. He's part of this group and we all need to rely on each other. And I guess you're forgiven. Just don't go getting into fights with him again. I don't wanna have to stitch you up after he's done with you."

"Hey, I'm a trained fighter remember, I could totally take him."

"You're trained by the army, he's trained by the country and his brother Merle, and that's a whole new level of fighting." She laughed. She looked over to where Daryl was and saw that Carol took him some food and he was now massaging her shoulder. She got jealous. Even though things seemed to always blow up between them, she still longed for the days when it was good between them. She often thought of the day they went to the field by the farm and it was just the two of them. He didn't have to show his tough act, he was just hers for the day. The Daryl that no one else got to see.

Rose came back out of her thoughts at the sound of Maggie and Beth singing 'The Parting Glass'. It was beautiful.

"We'd better all turn in." Rick said after a few minutes. "I'll take watch. We've got a big day tomorrow."

"What do you mean?" Glenn asked.

"Look, I know we're all exhausted." Rick said. "This was a great win. But we've gotta push just a little bit more. Most of the walkers are dressed as guards and prisoners. Looks like this place fell pretty early. It could mean the supplies may still be intact. They'd have an infirmary, a commissary."

"An armory?" Daryl asked.

"That would be outside the prison itself, but not too far away. Warden's office would have info on the location. Weapons, food, medicine. This place could be a gold mine."

"We're dangerously low on ammo." Hershel said. "We'd run out before we made a dent."

"That's why we have to go in there, hand to hand. After all we've been through. We can handle it, I know it. These assholes don't stand a chance." He stood up and made his way to take watch patrol. Lori got up and went to talk to him.

Rose got up and went to sit by herself just a little ways away. Beth came and sat down next to her.

"How are your scratches doing?" Beth asked.

"Oh, they're fine." Rose replied.

"Two men fighting over you, that's kind of sweet."

"Yeah, but I don't want even one fighting over me. It always ends in crap."

"Maybe it always ends like that because you make it that way."

"What?" Rose asked looking at her.

"Sorry, but it could be true. I don't know about the past ones but that's how it seemed with Daryl. He was willing to stick it out and you're the one that walked away. You keep telling yourself you don't want it, but maybe you subconsciously do. And you're afraid of relying on someone to keep you safe, not physically but to keep your heart safe. You had a bad relationship in the past, it's over, you learn from it. If you want something, you have to work your butt off to get it and keep it. You can't just walk away when things get too hard."

"Wow, when did you get all philosophical?"

"It's not philosophy, it's love, I saw it in my mom and dad and I see it in Maggie and Glenn. I see it between you and Daryl but you two keep ignoring it. I may be young, but I know what love is. Think about it." Beth said and then got up and walked back to her father.

Rose did think about it. She thought about it all night until she fell asleep. Tomorrow was a new day, they had a lot to do. She drifted off to sleep thinking of that day in the sunny field.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

The next morning they all woke up ready to take the inside of the prison. Daryl, Glenn, T-Dog, Hershel, Maggie and Rick were all standing at the gate they had closed the night before. Rose and Jared stayed with Lori and the others to protect them.

"Ready?" Rick asked the others. They all just nodded in reply and opened the gate. Once they were through, Hershel closed the gate to prevent other walkers from coming through. When they advanced into the new area the group stayed in a tight circle formation with their backs to the center.

Rose stood behind the fence and watched the group make their way through the group of walkers. Jared stood right beside her but her mind was on one man. She gripped the fence tightly with her hands wishing that she could be in there helping.

Lori and the others were rattling the fence where they were to attract the walkers over to them and then they would dispose of them when they got close. Rose glanced over to see how Lori was doing and when she looked back at the group, they were out of sight. Lori noticed this too.

"I can't see them." Lori said to Rose. "Can you?"

"No, I can't." Rose responded. "They'll be ok though."

"How do you know?"

"Because it's Daryl and Rick." Rose said hoping to lighten the mood.

The inside group came back into view. They started to rush over to the gate where the others waited but Rick stopped them.

"What is it? Why are they stopping?" Lori asked.

"I don't know." Rose answered. They stood there at the fence watching the group inside talk but unable to hear. Then they saw them go towards the door that led into the prison. "They're going inside."

They were inside now. Rose couldn't see any of them. It was killing her to not know if Daryl was alive or not. She hated that he had this hold on her and he didn't even know it. She hated how she couldn't cut him out of her life. He would always be there no matter what. He would always be hurting her without actually doing anything.

After what felt like forever Glenn came out to collect them. They all followed silently into the prison. When they arrived with the rest of the group, Rose was relieved to see Daryl standing there. She looked at him with a small smile of happiness but quickly looked away when she noticed he saw her.

She looked around her surroundings and saw that they were in C Block. They were basically going to live like prisoners. They pretty much were. They were prisoners in their own world and the walkers were the guards.

"What do you think?" Rick asked the group.

"Home sweet home." Glenn replied.

"For the time being."

"It's secure?" Lori asked.

"This cell block is." Rick replied.

"What about the rest of the prison?" Hershel asked.

"In the morning, we'll find the cafeteria and infirmary." Rick explained.

"We sleep in the cells?" Beth asked.

"I found keys on some guard." Rick said. "Daryl has a set too."

"I ain't sleeping in no cage." Daryl said.

At the sound of Daryl's voice Rose looked at him. He stood there with a purpose. A purpose to keep the group safe. He was a valued member and he was becoming somebody. He wasn't a nobody anymore. He was Daryl Dixon the protector of their group. He caught her looking again but this time she didn't look away. She knew what was happening. She was falling for him all over again. But did she ever stop in the first place? She knew what she wanted now, the problem was did he want her again?

"I'll take the perch." He continued as he walked over to the area by the stairs.

They all split up to find a cell to sleep in. Jared walked with Rose until she subconsciously walked into a cell close to where Daryl was sleeping. Before she entered fully she turned around at the door to face Jared who was about to follow her into the cell.

"I think it's better if I sleep alone. You should find a different cell." She said to him.

"What if a walker comes in?" Jared said. He was reaching for a reason to stay with her.

"We are locked down. No one or thing gets in without a key from Daryl or Rick."

Jared stayed silent but turned and walked into the cell next to hers. Rose glanced at Daryl who was watching their conversation again. This time however, he did not have a smug look on his face. She watched as he made up a place to sleep and lay down on it. She wasn't sure if it was her or just the fact that they were safe now. But something inside her made her get up from her bed and walk over to Daryl. She sat next to him with her facing his face. When he noticed she was there he peered up at her from where he lay on the ground.

"What do you want?" He asked her

"I honestly don't know." She replied. "Maybe just to talk."

"About what?"

"I don't know. The weather?" she almost got a smile out of him with that.

"Why don't you go talk to army boy about the weather?"

"We both know that I don't want to talk about the weather Daryl, and I know you know that I don't want him."

"So, what? You want me again?"

"I never stopped wanting you. I only needed time to come to terms with that fact."

"So what if I don't want you?"

"Then tell me now. If you don't want me then tell me right now so I can continue to live this miserable life we have."

He sat up and looked her in the eyes. "I don't want you." It looked like his eyes were trying to tell her something else but his mouth wouldn't say it. And seeing as Rose was no mind reader, she silently stood up and walked back to her cell. She took one last look at Daryl and saw a sad expression on his face but she chose to ignore it. She climbed into her bed and went to sleep.

The next day the group went over what they had gotten off of the guards.

"Not bad." Daryl said.

"Flash bangs, cs triple chasers." Rick said. "Not sure how they'd work on walkers, but we'll take them." They looked at the gear next and Daryl picked up a helmet they had pulled off of a walker.

"I ain't wearing this shit." He said as he looked at it disgustingly.

"We could boil them." T-Dog suggested. Rose grimaced at the idea.

"There ain't enough firewood in the whole forest. No." Daryl said. "Besides, we made it this far without them right?"

"Rose?" Carol called as she entered the room.

"Everything all right?" Rick asked.

"Yeah, nothing to worry about." Carol walked out.

"I'll be right back." Rose said to Rick. "It's probably just nerves." She followed Carol out to Lori's cell. "What's wrong?" Rose asked as she entered the cell.

"It's the baby, I think I lost it." Lori responded.

"Why do you think that?"

"I haven't felt it move."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing. And no Braxton Hicks. At first I thought it was exhaustion or malnutrition."

"You're anemic?" Lori nodded.

"If we're all infected then so is the baby. So what if it's still born? What if it's dead inside of me right now? What if it rips me apart?"

"Stop. Don't let your fear take control of you. You can't think like that."

"Ok, then let's say it lives? And I die during child birth?"

"That is not going to happen."

"Why not?"

"Because I won't let it."

"People die in childbirth all the time. What if I come back, and attack it? Or you? Or Rick? Or Carl? If I do, if there is any chance, you put me down immediately. You don't hesitate. Me, the baby." Her voice started breaking. "If we're walkers, you don't hesitate, you don't try to save us. It might have been better if," she trailed off.

"If what?" Rose asked her.

"If I'd never made it off the farm."

"Lori!" Rose scolded. "You're exhausted, frightened. You need to rest and stop thinking like this."

"Yeah that's true. My son can't stand me. And my husband, after what I put him through,"

"We have all been carrying that weight."

"Not you. You stand by him like I should. You support him when everyone wants to give up on him. I should have been more like you."

"No, Lori. I stay by his side because if it weren't for him, I would be dead in that hospital. I stay by him because I trust him. Everyone has doubts though. I just push those aside."

"I should be the one doing that though. But I try to talk to him and he,"

"He'll come around. He has to."

"He hates me. He's too good a man to say it, but I know. I put him and Shane at odds, I put that knife in his hand."

"You know who doesn't give a shit about that? This baby." Rose said, putting her hand on Lori's stomach. "Now, let's make sure everything is all right."

After they were done making sure the baby was ok, they walked out of the cell to see the guys gearing up to look further into the prison. Rose looked down at Daryl and he seemed to be avoiding her gaze. She looked over to see Rick telling Carl he had to stay behind in case he had to become the man of the group.

"I want to go with you guys." Rose said out loud.

"No," both Daryl and Jared said. Rose looked at them and Daryl was pretending he didn't say anything. So she turned her eyes to Jared.

"And why not? I can fight, if something happens, I'm a doctor."

It was Rick that answered. "Lori is due anytime. We need you here in case she goes into labor."

"You're right." Lori took her hand and led her back into her cell. They sat down on the bottom bunk and Lori looked at her expectantly. "What?" Rose asked her.

"Speak. Talk. I just poured out my fears and problems. You listened and gave advice. It's my turn to help you."

"I don't have any problems right now."

"That's crap. You are full of drama. Jared is a great guy who wants you, You are a great girl that wants Daryl, and Daryl is,"

"Doesn't want me." Rose cut her off.

"No, that's not true, I see the way he looks at you."

"I asked him straight up to tell me the truth and he said he didn't want me. But it's the end of the world, I should be worried about getting bit by a walker, not about whether or not some guy wants me or not. Leave it to me to worry about that now. I couldn't have thought about it when life was still normal."

"You just needed a reality check."

"Yeah this was a huge one. And so was my talk with Daryl last night. He looked me straight in the eyes and said he didn't want me. Maybe I should give up on him and be with someone who does want me. Or just stay by myself."

"It's the end of the world. No one should be alone. Jared wants you, he's a great guy."

"You're right. He is, I'll see how it goes when they get back." Rose smiled at her. Lori was a great friend. "I don't know what I would do with out you."


	26. Chapter 26

Suddenly they heard noise coming from outside the block that sounded like the group coming back.

"Open the door!" They heard Rick shout. "It's Hershel. Rose now!"

Rose rushed out of the cell and met them down at Hershel's cell. "Oh my, get him on the bed. What happened?"

"He got bit." Daryl said.

"He's gonna turn." Someone said.

"No, maybe you got it in time." Lori said.

"We just gotta keep an eye on it. I need bandages." Rose said as she unwrapped the wound to take a look at it.

"We used everything we had." Glenn said.

"Well get more. Anything." Carol said.

"Ok, calm down. I need people out of here. I need some sort of bandages." Rose ordered as she checked his pupil and pulse. "He's unconscious but losing a lot of blood."

"Carl, go get the towels next to my bed." Lori said. Carl rushed out.

"Is he gonna die?" Beth asked

"No, he's gonna be ok." Lori said to her.

"Lori, can you get her out of here please?" Rose asked.

"Can you stabilize him?" Rick asked.

"We need to elevate his leg."

"Get some pillows." Carol said.

"He's already bled through the sheets."

"We could burn the wound to clot blood. I could start a fire."

People were rattling out ideas and it was not helping Rose. "Everyone shut it!" Rose ordered. "Give me some room and let me do what I do best."

There was a commotion outside the cell block. "What is that?" Lori asked.

"Survivors, prisoners." Rick explained.

"Oh that's fantastic." Rose muttered. The men went out to talk to the prisoners while Lori and Carol helped Rose try to stop the bleeding. "We've slowed it down quite a bit."

"We'll need crutches for when he wakes up." Carol said.

"Right now we could use some antibiotics and painkillers." Rose said.

"And some sterile gauze." Lori added. "There's gotta be an infirmary somewhere."

Rose blocked out their chatter while she concentrated on keeping Hershel alive. The men returned a little bit later announcing food along with their arrival. She glanced out of the cell as she heard T-Dog announcing what all they got to bring back with them. They must have found the cafeteria on their adventure.

"Any change?" Rick asked as he passed by the cell.

"Bleeding is under control and no fever," Lori answered.

"But his breath is labored and his pulse is way down and he hasn't opened his eyes yet." Rose finished with the bad news.

"Take my cuffs and put them on him." Rick said to Glenn. "I'm not taking any chances."

Glenn did as he was told and Lori walked away to talk to Rick about the prisoners and how they were going to deal with the situation.

"Why don't you take a break?" Lori suggested as she came back into the cell. "I'll watch him."

Rose nodded and walked out. She walked out to where Rick and the other men were with the prisoners about to head out and clear out their own cell block.

"Why do I need this," one of the prisoners said holding up a weapon, "when I got this?" He finished pulling out his gun.

"You don't fire guns." Daryl explained. "Not unless your back is up against a wall"

"Noise attracts them." Rose said as she entered. "It really riles them up."

"Well looky hear." The one with the gun said looking at Rose. "Looks like you all are holding out on us. We might have to renegotiate our deal. Give us her and we stay in our new cell block."

Jared stepped in front of Rose and glared at the guy. "How 'bout you stay away from her and the other girls and we let you live."

The other man pulled out his gun and pointed it at Jared. "Or you give me her and I don't shoot you."

The man wasn't paying attention to the others around him and Daryl walked up and punched him in the face knocking the man to the ground. He then leaned down and whispered in the guy's ear something only he could hear. When the two stood up again the man avoided looking at Rose and turned his attention back to Rick and waited for the plan.

Daryl walked right past Jared and up to Rose. "You should go back into the cell block."

"What did you say to him?" Rose asked.

"Nothing just made sure he knew his place."

"I thought you didn't want me."

"I don't."

"Then why did you hit him in my honor?"

Daryl didn't reply. He just turned around and walked back over to Rick.

"What did he say to you?" Jared asked Rose after Daryl left.

"Nothing." Rose said. "You need to stop worrying that he's gonna hurt me or something every time we talk. Be careful out there." She gave him a hug and for a split second saw an angry look on Daryl's face before he cleared it. She then turned around and walked back into the cell block.

She was about to walk back into Hershel's cell when Glenn stopped her. "Maggie wanted a minute alone with him"

Rose nodded and sat against the wall they were standing by. When Maggie was done they all went back in and stay silent as they just watched Hershel sleep. After a while Carl came walking into the cell with supplies.

"I thought you were organizing the food." Glenn said.

"Even better." Carl said. He walked into the cell and dropped a duffle bag on the floor. Rose opened it and found fresh gauze along with other stuff that would help with Hershel's leg.

"Where did you get all this?" Rose asked him.

"From the infirmary." Carl said. "Wasn't much left, but I cleared it out."

Rose immediately started dressing the wound with fresh gauze.

"You went by yourself?" Lori asked.

"Yeah." Carl answered.

"Are you crazy?"

"No big deal, I killed two walkers."

"Do you see this?" Lori asked him while gesturing towards Hershel. "This was with the whole group."

"We needed supplies so I got them." Carl argued.

"I appreciate that but,"

"Then get off my back!"

"Carl!" Beth interjected. "She's your mother. You can't talk to her like that."

"Look, I think it's great that you want to help," Lori started but Carl walked out before she could finish.

Rose kept working on Hershel but kept thinking about how the guys were doing with the prisoners. "The bandages will help with infection." She said as she wrapped new gauze around Hershel's leg.

"It's good." Glenn said. "It's good that we have a doctor in the group."

"Who knows what we would do without you." Carol said.

"You all would be fine without me. Hershel knows stuff and he would have taught someone something." Rose replied. "He'll be fine for now. I'll let you have some time with him." She got up and went to her cell. As she sat there, she thought about Jared and how he was so into her. He was a great guy but she felt nothing there for him. She also thought about Daryl and how much she wanted him but then she remembered the harsh words he said to her the night before. 'I don't want you' he had said.

"Somebody help! Help" Rose heard Beth scream from Hershel's cell. She rushed out of hers and ran to Beth.

When she got there Lori was there. Hershel was not breathing and Lori was in the middle of CPR. Rose watched making sure she was doing it right. As Lori went to give the second round of breaths, Hershel's arm came up and clung to Lori. Rose thought he had become a walker and ran over to help Lori. Carl had his gun drawn and Rose pulled Lori away. When she was free they looked at Hershel as he fell back on the bed and continued sleeping. He was still alive.

They all stayed in there after that to watch Hershel. The men came back and Rose walked out of the cell to greet them.

"Hershel stopped breathing." Carl informed them. "Mom saved him."

"It's true." Rose answered as Rick looked at her.

Rick walked into the cell and Rose stayed out. Daryl and Jared were standing next to each other and Rose was looking at them. She heard a commotion from within the cell, sounding like Hershel woke up. She quickly turned around to go in and everything went black. Before she was out completely she felt strong arms catch her. She didn't know who it was but they smelled of woods, dirt, sweat, and blood.

Rose woke to the sound of sirens blaring. She felt a little groggy and had no idea how long she was out. She slowly got up out of bed and looked around. No one was in the cell block, the alarms were going off and she was alone. She started mentally freaking out a little. She rushed down the stairs to the gate that led out of the cell block. It was left open. She prepared for the worst. What if everyone was gone? What if they had to pack up and leave and they left her behind. She grabbed her gun and knife and strapped them to herself and then picked up her bat. She cautiously walked out of the cell block and prepared to have to make it on her own. She felt for sure they left her behind and she was gonna have to survive on her own now.

She felt a bit sad at the fact that they would just leave her but she was a burden unconscious. She would only hold them back and probably get them killed. She didn't blame them but now she knew how it was. She bit back the tears and walked on.

She didn't know the prison very well. She never went out on rounds with the others. She was always left behind incase Lori went into labor. She was a mouse in a maze looking for the cheese. She had no idea where to go and she was afraid she would die alone. Most of her life she didn't care about being alone. But now that she was at the end, she wanted to have someone she loved to be with her so she could see them one more time. And now, she knew exactly who that person was. Too bad it was too late.


End file.
